The Labyrinth: Turn Back Before It's Too Late
by Jadeycakes92
Summary: Eight years after her first journey to The Labyrinth, Sarah is in need of some answers. Her memories of Jareth and the Goblins have never stopped invading her dreams. Spurred on by Toby, she's determined to find her way back, but how can she? What could she lose if she returns? Or perhaps more importantly, what could she gain?
1. Chapter 1: New Start

The Labyrinth: Turn Back Before It's Too Late

Author's Note: I've always loved to write and I've always loved The Labyrinth so it just made sense to write a fanfiction so I googled 'Labyrinth fanfiction' and found this amazing website and you all :) ... As I'm new please don't judge my writing too harshly but I wanted to give it my best go. I've read a couple of your stories so far and I look forward to reading more. And whilst I'm here I have to say... R.I.P David Bowie. You will be missed.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth or any of the characters that appear from it in this tale. This is for non-profit fan day dreaming only!

Chapter 1: New Start

Sarah Williams lay wide awake despite it being the early hours of the morning. She thought she had heard the clock strike two though she couldn't be sure; her mind was too preoccupied with the nightmares that filled her head. Restless, she sat up looking around the shadows that shaped her new bedroom. She thought moving out would help her move on with her life but she knew she couldn't escape feeling like an outsider. She had always been a loner, even as a child she would prefer to play make believe than spend time with real people. As she grew older she used the theatre and acting as her form of escape. She had been labelled as dramatic, and by some as crazy. She was starting to wonder whether they were right. The nightmares came every night and they felt very real to Sarah. She once believed, and wished she still could believe, that she had been to a place called The Labyrinth.

When Sarah was fifteen years of age, she had read a play called _The Labyrinth_ which she had fell in love with. At the time she had a strong attachment to it because she could fantasise about breaking free of the responsibility that she had to care for her half-brother Toby, which at the time she hadn't felt ready to do. Too often her father and stepmother had left her to look after him, something that deep down had scared her a little. She had wished that, like in the play, the Goblin King would take the child and return her freedom. She remembered the night she'd had enough and said the lines aloud where the protagonist of the play calls upon the Goblin King. Only she hadn't expected anything to happen, least of all for the King to appear and herself having to solve the Labyrinth, fighting through the maze, to save Toby.

Nevertheless, everyone told her that these events that were clear as day in her memory had never actually happened. She couldn't escape how real they felt, except after having spent time researching the Labyrinth and trying to find any sign of its being, she had begun to believe that everyone she spoke to was right. She had just dreamt it all. The only reference to that world was the play.

"It is your obsession with that play," her Dad had said to her when she was fifteen. "It's not natural to get that transfixed." Back then she had ignored her father's accusations and swore she had been to that magical place. Now at the age of twenty three her memory of that particular conversation with her father had faded, as had most of her memories, except that of the Labyrinth when it came back to haunt her in her sleep. Therefore she started to question her own sanity.

Frustrated for failing to make a new start for herself once again, she shouted out in rage as she threw her pillow across her room. It knocked a photograph off of her dresser, the glass smashing as it hit the floor.

Sarah could feel tears begin to roll down her cheeks. Many an attempt she had made before to stop the nightmares. She had really felt like moving out of her childhood home would make the ghosts disappear, however it seemed she was out of luck.

"Sarah? Are you okay?"

Suddenly aware of the hall light being switched on and Toby's face peering around the edge of her door, she quickly wiped the tears away before her brother could see.

"Yes, sorry Toby for waking you. I'm okay," she whispered. "Come here."

Sarah held her arms open and Toby shuffled across the room in the dim light and wrapped himself in her embrace. Although he was now almost ten, Sarah still saw him as the small, innocent boy he had been those eight years ago. She enjoyed taking care of him now. The Labyrinth, be it real or imaginary, had brought them closer together. She had asked if she could have him stay for her first night in her new apartment. Having not lived on her own before she was a little apprehensive.

"Was it those nightmares?" Toby asked curiously. "I've heard you talking in your sleep before. About a Goblin King."

Slightly taken aback by her brothers awareness, Sarah sat silent for a moment. She had never told him of The Labyrinth. Firstly because her parents had made her promise not to. More importantly it was because she didn't want to stir up any bad dreams for Toby; he deserved peaceful sleep. Wondering what to do she sat there stroking his head gently just like her father had done to her when she was small.

"Yes," she answered wanting to add more but stopping herself before she potentially opened a can of worms that she had avoided for so long.

"I remember his eyes," Toby yawned, snuggling into his sisters embrace even more. "They didn't match."

"What?" Sarah remarked, astonished. "You remember?"

However, there was no reply and Sarah became aware of Toby's breath deepening and becoming regular, he was asleep. Desperately she wanted to ask him about the King because it was those eyes which haunted her too. Sighing she let Toby's unconscious spell continue but vowed to herself that this was proof enough that it did happen, and that she would one day find her way back to The Labyrinth.


	2. Chapter 2: I Do Need You

Chapter 2: I Need You

Toby didn't mention the Labyrinth again whilst he was staying with Sarah and she didn't attempt to bring up the topic. Her stepmother would never let Toby stay again if she spoke to him about the Labyrinth, and that she couldn't bear. However, Toby's memories reassured her that her search for that magical place was worth it. It existed, she was now sure.

 _How can I find my way back to The Labyrinth?_ Wondered Sarah constantly. For someone who had solved it before, to not be able to find a way to enter was frustrating. No matter how many books, articles and websites she trolled through she couldn't find anything to help. There didn't appear to be any trace of anyone who had been there before or who had seen the Goblin King. There must have been of course, there had been too many goblins there those few years ago. The goblins had presumably all been children just like Toby before the King had turned them into those fearful creatures. If she hadn't have solved the maze and made it to the castle in time, Toby could be a goblin right now.

Shuddering at the thought she logged off the computer at the library and packed her notes away ready to go home. She had thought reports of missing children might provide her with some clues but everything she had found just lead to a dead end. If any of those children had been taken by the Goblin King, there was nothing to find that even hinted at it.

When she was at university, Sarah's room-mate became intrigued by Sarah's story for a while. Studying journalism, Jessica had tried to help Sarah research The Labyrinth before, but again to no avail. Eventually she started to wonder if Sarah was just being dramatic; she did study the arts after all. Jessica began to lose interest and eventually Sarah dropped out of university. They lost contact. Jessica was the only person who had shown any interest or belief in what Sarah had to say. Although Jessica's support was lost fairly quickly, Sarah appreciated the fact that she had listened at all. However, as the nightmares grew worse and Jessica became increasingly frustrated, Sarah felt she had no choice but to drop out of university and return home. Instead she gained herself a job in a local coffee shop and began to save so she could move out and start afresh.

Yet one question Jessica used to ask Sarah still played on her mind: "Why do you want to go back to the place that causes all these nightmares?"

In truth, Sarah wasn't entirely sure. She couldn't deny that she feared The Labyrinth. If she wasn't scared of it then it couldn't haunt her dreams the way it did. The endless mazes, the constant fear of being lost and the dread of becoming trapped was suffocating. Most of all, the thought of the Goblin King sent shivers up her spine. It was his eyes.

 _I just need to know it was all real._ And with that thought Sarah left the library and began the short walk home. She wished she still had a copy of the play but her father had taken her own copy from her after she spoke of her ordeal in The Labyrinth; try as she might she hadn't been able to find another copy anywhere. She couldn't even remember where she had got it from when she was young. Though certain lines she could never forget, she hoped that if she could obtain a copy it might provide her with clues. She may have forgotten something.

Tired, she decided to have a lie down when she returned home. For the past eight years she had felt exhausted through disruptive sleep and from her mind constantly racing. Now that she had started to believe in magic again because of her brother words, she felt more drained as she spent every waking and non-working minute trying to find evidence of the truth. She was desperate for people to believe her. Although her recent discovery of her brothers belief was a comfort to her, it was not enough. She needed evidence, not only for other people but for herself.

As she lay there, her eyelids grew heavy from her busy day in the library researching and she needed a rest before her shift at the coffee shop that evening. It didn't take long for her to drift to sleep and for the dreams to begin.

 _"Sarah, should you need us," Sir Didymus said looking sincerely into Sarah's eyes. As always the brave fox-knight was sitting atop his trusty dog Ambrosius. Next to them stood the friendly, giant beast known as Ludo. He smiled at Sarah and she smiled right back._

 _"Yes, should you need us," Hoggle repeated. Hoggle was the first Goblin Sarah had met and he had helped her a lot. Sarah began to walk towards her friends. Without them she would never have solved The Labyrinth. She owed them everything._

 _As she got closer they began to fade._

 _"Hey. Wait. Where are you going?" Sarah cried out in desperation, but it didn't matter how fast she tried, she could never reach them before they disappeared. Lost and alone she closed her eyes and let a small tear slide down her cheek._

 _A strong wind suddenly manifested forcing her to open her eyes, only to be looking straight into the mismatched gaze of the Goblin King._

She awoke with a scream trying to gain control of her breathing.

"Should you need us," she whispered. "Well yes, I do need you."


	3. Chapter 3: Wherever You May Be

Chapter 3: Wherever You May Be

Sarah had said, screamed out loud and written down just how much she needed her friends from The Labyrinth so many times she had lost count. Hoggle, or perhaps all of her friends, were her way to gain entry. At least that's what she had thought. Despite their promises to be there for her the last time she had seen them, they didn't seem to be listening.

Being a lover of the arts, Sarah was also a keen drawer as well as actress though she had never chased drawing professionally. She had sketched so many pictures of Hoggle hoping that through them she could somehow reach him. If anyone could help her to get back into the Labyrinth it would be him, but of course there was a cyclical problem: to find Hoggle she would probably have to enter the Labyrinth.

She was midway through another doodle of Hoggle when her stepmother had knocked at her door asking if she could have Toby for the night as her father had a sudden business dinner.

"Nothing changes," Sarah muttered, barely audible. Of course she now loved taking care of her little brother and having him stay, but she couldn't help but wish her father and stepmother would spend a little more time caring for Toby rather than worrying about money and work. Sarah may have only had a small job, barely making ends meet, but through that she had learnt that money wasn't the be all and end all. She prided herself on how she had changed over the past eight years. She had been naive, stubborn and somewhat self-centred as a child. Although these characteristics hadn't left her completely, she felt she had grown into a rather compassionate, caring young woman. A lot of that she owed to her Labyrinth adventure.

Toby had only stayed with Sarah a few times since she moved into her apartment one month earlier but already he felt at home in her spare bedroom. She had let him decorate it, knowing that he would probably spend a significant amount of time with her. Being a typical boy of his age he had plastered it with posters of his favourite television shows and book covers which at first Sarah had protested. If she had any other guests to stay she felt that children's posters covering the walls may seem inappropriate, but she gave in to Toby's desires because she wanted him to feel comfortable when he stayed over.

Reading was a pastime that both Sarah and Toby had in common. Toby had a reading ability beyond his years. Although he showed no interest in acting or drawing, both of them loved to read and Toby still enjoyed to read plays even if he didn't want to act them out. He was shy unlike his sister who on most occasions could be quite forthright. Nevertheless, he enjoyed watching his sister act and adored the voices she imitated for various characters whenever she read to him.

When it turned nine o'clock, Sarah heaved herself up from the chair where she had been watching the television to tell Toby is was time to turn his lights out and go to sleep. An hour previous he had asked if he could go and read before bed. Sarah admired her brothers love of reading, reminding herself of when she was a young girl.

As she neared his room she suddenly felt a chill in the air. It was the first time she had felt at all uneasy in her new apartment. She felt like someone was watching her but she turned around only to confirm that she was alone.

"Toby," she said as she reached the door. "It's time to go to sleep now."

"Just let me finish this page," replied Toby, completely engrossed in the text. He was mesmerized by the plot of his new book.

Sarah meandered towards the bed slowly before perching on the edge next to her brother. Intrigued by what was holding his attention she glanced over his shoulder, squinting at the small words that filled the page.

 _Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered..._

Gasping for air she snatched the book from Toby's grasp and leapt off of the bed, staring at the words. She knew them. Closing the book she checked the front cover just to make sure, and sure enough, it was _The Labyrinth_.

"Sarah...give it..." Toby whined.

"Where did you get this?" Interrupted Sarah, flicking through the pages almost in disbelief that the text had materialised.

"I found it," Toby commented. When Sarah looked at him asking for more detail he added, "It was in your room. At our house. Mum and Dad store lots of things in there now."

Hardly believing her ears Sarah didn't know what to say. She was astonished that her father had even kept the book in the house. She had always suspected he had burnt it until there was nothing left, or at the very least she thought he would have taken it to a second hand book store. Had the book she had been searching for been so close all that time? Knowing her dad well it hadn't even crossed her mind to search their house. She had been convinced that it would be gone forever.

"It's set in that place we went to isn't it? That goblin you always draw lives there?" Toby asked curiously.

"Yes," Sarah responded truthfully. "I'm sorry I haven't spoke of it before Toby but it was such a long time ago. I never thought you would remember."

"I don't," he mumbled back. "Not really. Just little things. The things in that play just seem familiar. Like the Goblins. I remember lots and lots of Goblins. Can we go back there Sarah? I want to remember clearly."

Putting her arm around her brother she hugged him close. " I know that it was real that place, but I can't find it anymore. Besides, you're probably better off not remembering it too well."

"Why, was it scary?"

Sarah began to explain things about The Labyrinth to Toby starting from how they ended up there in the first place all the way until she reached the castle and defeated the Goblin King. Entranced by his sisters story, he gasped at certain moments but never interrupted her words. Although parts of the tale sounded scary such as when Sarah encountered the Fireys and they tried to take off her head, most of the tale sounded magical to Toby, making him want to return to that world more than ever. He wanted to be able to have clear memories of his own.

"We need to go back Sarah," Toby added when his sister finished talking. "I want to meet the friends you made. I want magical friends."

"Toby, you're only nine years old," Sarah exclaimed.

"I'm almost ten," Toby said defiantly. "Nearly double figures."

Sarah laughed before she responded. "Oh Toby, I know. I can't find it anyhow, I've tried. I just wanted to confirm it is real. But you remember. That will be enough." She was lying now, knowing that she still wanted to find a way back but she didn't want her brother to go with her. It would worry her too much. Now she felt reassured that The Labyrinth existed, she realised her main desire to return was so that she would belong. Never before or since her first adventure to the maze had she had friends like Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo. She really did need them; she didn't want to remain lonely.

"There's a way!" Shouted Toby, excited. Grabbing the book out of Sarah's hand, he began searching through the pages while Sarah watched her little brother curiously. After listening intently to his older sister's story he just knew how they could get back, if only he could find that part of the play.

"Here," he exclaimed when he found what he was looking for. "I can bear it no longer. Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you..."

"Stop!" Yelled Sarah, taking the book back and shutting it firmly. "Don't say those words."

"Why not? It will work Sarah. I know it will," He said with childlike enthusiasm. "Just ask them to take me again."

"I can't! I mustn't. I mustn't say it. It's dangerous Toby. If it works then we'll be back in the game. I might not win this time. I can't lose you."

"I know you can do it. I know you can. You and you're friends can save me again. Please Sarah. I want to go there. Please!"

Despite Sarah's protestations, Toby continued to plead with his sister. Sarah realised just how little he may remember to be that enthusiastic about reliving what they once went through. She kept trying to say no, but Toby was determined and the more he used his imagination against her, even Sarah thought his idea might be her only way back. She really didn't want to be selfish this time. She didn't want rid of her brother now. Would the Goblin King even fall for it? Could it work?

"Please!" Toby begged again. By now he was jumping up and down on his bed, and nothing his sister could do could silence him.

"Toby stop it!" Sarah shouted but he wouldn't. She began to grow tired of fighting with her brother. The fifteen year old girl, still a part of her, wanted to go ahead and say the words just so that her brother would be quiet. Her more mature consciousness tried to fight off her younger self's desires, but she was struggling to keep her younger self in check.

Opening the play on the correct page she stared at the words for a few seconds whilst her brother continued to shout in the background. Her hands trembled with desire and she tried to keep her lips shut tight. Eventually she could not help herself and screamed, "I can bear it no longer. Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me."

With that, the lights turned out.


	4. Chapter 4: Return of the Goblin King

Chapter 4: Return of the Goblin King

As silence filled the room Sarah was already consumed with regret.

"Toby? Are you alright?" She said, echoing herself. Like before, the silence ensued and how ever many times she tried to switch the light on, the darkness wouldn't disappear.

Shadows began to move around the room but Sarah couldn't focus on anything. She couldn't believe what she had done. She was frightened. This wasn't how she had wanted to rediscover her friends in The Labyrinth.

Suddenly a piercing light appeared forcing Sarah to look at the ground to avoid its strong, blinding rays.

"Well, well, well," a voice rang out distinctively. "This is a surprise." Sarah knew that voice. It was him. Jareth. The Goblin King. She wanted to look up but the bright light held her gaze to the floor. Frozen to the spot, her heartbeat quickened.

"Did you not learn from last time Sarah?" the voice questioned in an accusatory tone.

Sarah looked upwards, closing her eyes until she sensed the light dim so she could open them. Before her, Jareth stood wearing a dark cape that almost reached the floor, tight grey leggings and high black leather boots. His eyes bore into her as though he could see into her soul and it made Sarah shuffle on her feet uncomfortably. He intimidated her. She had a burning desire to look down again but she forced herself to keep looking at his mismatched eyes that she remembered so clearly.

Jareth took a step closer to Sarah, slowly moving his leather gloved hand towards her face, hesitating slightly as he moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. "A little older, yet still a beauty."

Sarah's breath hitched and her heart began to pound. She knew she was scared but what else was it that she was feeling? Was she excited?

Quickly remembering himself Jareth withdrew his hand and asked, "What do you want, Sarah?"

"Where's Toby?" Sarah enquired nervously.

"You know very well where he is," Jareth shot back, smiling after he said it. "He seems to be enjoying being back at the castle."

"I didn't mean it."

"Like the last time?" Jareth teased, starting to circle her. He saw her gaze following him as he walked around and he couldn't help but take pleasure in it.

"I was stupid. I'm sorry but I need my brother back."

"Is that really what you want, Sarah? Is that what your heart truly desires?"

Upon Sarah's answer that she most certainly wanted her brother back, Jareth produced a crystal ball showing Toby laughing with the goblins in the castle. After a few seconds Jareth burst the bubble and Toby rapidly appeared by Sarah's side. Stunned at how easy it seemed to have been to rectify her mistake she stayed quiet, though the silence was broken by Toby's excited words of amazement on seeing the Goblins again.

"Silence," commanded Jareth like a true king. "Toby, why don't you run along to the kitchen? Some of the Goblins are waiting for you there."

"Wait!" Sarah called after Toby. It was too late, her brother already had ran out of the room.

"He won't be harmed, Sarah. You wanted him back. I gave him back."

Sarah looked at Jareth in astonishment. "Why? Why did you just give him back? You didn't do that before."

"Do you really need to ask that, Sarah?" Chuckled Jareth, still fully focused on Sarah's dumbfounded expression which he most certainly found entertaining. "I always thought you were much more clever than that." As the silence remained, he continued, "You defeated me Sarah. I have no power over you. Though you can still have power over me."

"You have no power over me," Sarah mumbled to herself remembering the last conversation she had with the King those eight years ago.

"Those were your words," Jareth snapped, irritated by hearing them again. She had rejected him and it still hurt deep down. He had tried to give her the world and even then she had left. He wasn't sure he could ever fully understand her colourful mind. Some of her thoughts were so obvious but others were so unexpected.

"Were you asking me to be your consort back then?" Sarah probed. "I didn't understand. I just wanted my brother back."

"And that you did. So what does it matter now?" Replied Jareth harshly, turning his back on her. He didn't want to let Sarah see his hurt if his face gave it away. "Are we done?"

"S,s,s,sorry?" stuttered Sarah.

"Are we done?" Jareth repeated, composing himself and turning back around to face a stunned Sarah. "You called for me. I did as you asked. Have I granted your wishes or is there something more you want from me?"

Knowing she should just let him leave she started to shake her head but stopped abruptly. "Actually there might be something you can do for me."

Rolling his eyes Jareth asked what it was that she wanted. Sarah hadn't changed. She was still the ever demanding, brave but naive girl that she always had been. He wasn't sure if he was annoyed or pleased about it. So Sarah wanted to see her friends. To see Hoggle, a goblin that now worked closely with him, with them both having formed more of an understanding for each other after Sarah's first journey through the maze. Jareth was wary of granting her wish. He didn't know what the best way to help her was. He was under no obligation to do so. Though he had no power over her, it only meant he could not use any magic against her unless it was upon her own request which he then was free to choose whether to provide. Part of him just wanted to walk away and leave this situation behind, but a stronger part of him wanted to help her more.

"You have two choices," proposed Jareth. "Either I can show you your friends through one of my crystals. You won't be able to communicate but you will be able to see and remember them with no more entanglement into my Labyrinth. Alternatively, I can transport you back there. You can spend some time there, even move there if you so desire. Importantly, whichever choice you make you must make clearly. My loss of power means I can use no magic towards you without a clear request directly from you, Sarah. So which will it be?"


	5. Chapter 5: A Deal

Chapter 5: A Deal

All of a sudden, Toby came rushing into the room. "Sarah, this is amazing. I told you it would work. Come and meet the goblins." He grabbed his sister's hand and began to pull, but she didn't budge. "Come on, Sarah!"

Ignoring the interruption from Toby, Jareth urged Sarah for an answer, "well?"

Becoming aware of the tension between the adults in the room, Toby quietened down and began to take notice of the situation. Suddenly feeling scared he moved closer to Sarah, slowly sliding his arms round her waist. He waited in suspense for his sister to answer the King.

"What about Toby?" She asked looking down at her brother. "Does he get to come to the Labyrinth if I go?"

"It is no place for children Sarah, as you well know. Your experiences must make you realise that." Although Jareth wanted Sarah to return he also feared if she did. There was much more to his kingdom than she knew, much she hadn't discovered on her first journey. He didn't want her to get hurt. If she brought a small child with her, it could tie her down and make her more vulnerable. With no power over her, he may not always be able to protect her.

"But..." Sarah started to speak, yet she stopped knowing that the Goblin King was right. There were most likely more 'dangers untold' than she knew. Just because she desperately wanted to return and see her friends, it would be irresponsible of her to allow her little brother to come with her. _What if Toby got trapped in an oubliette?_ She was torn about what to do. She didn't want to just see through a crystal ball; it would hardly be more real than the ways she had seen her friends in her dreams for the past eight years. And finally she was so close to getting to where she'd wanted to be for the past few years. But she couldn't just leave Toby.

"Can't he stay in your castle?" Sarah thought that could be a possible way of taking him and keeping him safe.

Jareth was quite taken aback by Sarah's question. It was perhaps the most sensible thing she had said all evening. There was no denying that Toby would be very unlikely to come to any harm if he was locked inside in the castle while Sarah entered his Labyrinth. Nevertheless, he was doubtful that he could keep the boy entertained for long and then what would happen? Would the boy try to escape? He had no intention of singing and dancing around this time, he had lots to do. He was after all, the King.

"No," replied Jareth, failing to explain to her why. Almost instantly he regretted that decision. If he could make the boy want to stay permanently, Sarah would undoubtedly never leave either. This would require no magic to hold her there, something he no longer possessed to use against her. However, he had no real desire or means to take care of Toby and if Sarah did want to stay, he wanted her to come to that realisation by herself.

"Sarah, please I want to go with you," Toby began to cry.

"Shh," Jareth demanded. "I can offer you a deal, Sarah."

"I'm listening."

"I can get Toby safely returned home with your parents and can transport you to wherever you want to go. Whenever you want to leave, all you have to do is ask and I will do as you say. Toby will remember nothing of this night and when he returns home he won't even remember the book. But if I do that, even when you return home, Toby will always remain unaware of what went on where as you will remember. How does that sound, Sarah?"

Toby opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it when he received an icy glare from the King.

"I'm free to leave whenever I want?" Sarah needed this confirmed before making a solid decision.

"Yes, Sarah," reiterated Jareth clearly. "But you must remember I can no longer use my powers on you unless it is by your instruction. Your only way to leave will be to ask me face to face. If you do that, I can send you home."

Sarah knew that this could still have bad consequences. Either she would have to stay by Jareth's side the whole time just so she could have easy access to home, or she would have to find him to return home. Wanting to see her friends, she knew she couldn't bear staying by the King's side the whole time; it would be too uncomfortable. He was too intimidating and unpredictable, though despite not being able to feel truly comfortable around him, she strangely didn't feel in any danger near him either.

"You'd be safe in the castle," prompted Jareth, wishing she'd say that she would stay within the Goblin city but knowing she wouldn't do that. "But I know you too well, Sarah. I can't stop you from exploring."

"I'll be safe with my friends. I won't be alone."

"Oh, I hope so Sarah. I truly hope so," said Jareth knowing that Sarah's words were her refusal to stay with him. "Where do you want to go?"

"To the beginning, I guess," answered Sarah thoughtfully. Even if she didn't choose to be near the King, he'd be easy to find when she wanted to return home, because where else would he be but his castle?

"Deal?" Jareth asked. "You must shake on it." He removed one of his black gloves and held out his pale hand.

Sarah reached forward and placed her hand in his. His grasp was familiar to her. After all, she had danced with him before. However, this was the first time she had touched his bare hand and as soon as her hand fitted into his she felt an electric current running through her body; her heart beat faster than she'd ever experienced before.

Trying to ignore what she was feeling she shook his hand and agreed, "deal".

Both herself, the Goblin King and Toby vanished, leaving her apartment empty.


	6. Chapter 6: Turn Back

Chapter 6: Turn Back

Dizziness overcome Sarah as she landed on the hard concrete and Jareth had to put his arm around her to steady her.

"So you're here, Sarah. Back at the beginning of my Labyrinth. Just as you requested."

"Thank you," muttered Sarah looking up at Jareth, their eyes locking. Despite the difference of colour between his eyes, he was beautiful. With defined cheek bones, smooth skin and those gleaming eyes, no one could deny his attractiveness. She found herself wondering what he was. He seemed human, yet there was of course something more to him.

The first time they had met she had been so consumed by fear for her brother that she hadn't really observed him, except perhaps at the ball they once danced at. However, she had known that the ball was created by the King to distract her from her original quest, to use love as a way to make her forget her brother. So why now was he looking at her with that same desire and intensity as he did back then? He had nothing to make her forget now. His love trap hadn't worked of course, she had succeeded in saving Toby. At fifteen, she wasn't sure she fully understood what he was trying to do then, but looking back on it now she saw he had used love as a weapon, albeit unsuccessfully.

"I'm sure you remember this path well enough," Jareth spoke suddenly, removing his arm from her waist and taking a step back, his feet crunching upon leaves.

Sarah looked up and down the long corridor that she was stood in. The concrete path appeared to go for miles in either direction, towered over by two high, grey brick walls on either side. It was never ending. She had once ran down this path thinking she'd never get to the end, but now she wasn't so fearful because she knew that in the Labyrinth, nothing was what it seemed. There was always a way out, however hard it may be to find.

"Now listen, Sarah!" Jareth interrupted her thoughts. "This is your last chance for now to turn back. Until you reach me again, you won't be able to get home." He paused for a second, watching Sarah's wary expression. Sure she was brave, like she always had been, but he could see the fear within. "Unless you want me to stay with you of course." He teased her knowing that she wouldn't accept his offer, yet wishing that she would.

"I understand and I'll be fine. I've made it through here before," Sarah responded defiantly. "It will be a piece of cake."

A laugh was heard from Jareth then. "Of course, Sarah. Of course it will." She certainly was still naive.

Reaching underneath his cloak he pulled out one of his crystals and offered it to Sarah. She carefully took the crystal ball from his leather gloved hand, surprised by how lightweight the object was.

"A gift ," he stated as she looked at the glass ball. "I enchanted it so that you would always have a way to contact me when you wish to return home. Just look at it, ask to speak to me and I will appear inside."

"Thank you," Sarah accepted the crystal, placing it in her large cardigan pocket. She was quite relieved she would be able to have some contact to the King; it made her feel safer. "Will you be able to contact me?"

"No, Sarah" replied Jareth. "I can no longer use any of my powers towards you after you defeated me remember? I will only be able to see you when you activate the crystal's magic. I cannot use magic to spy on you if that is what you're worried about."

"N-n-no that's not what I meant," Sarah stuttered. "I just wondered."

She was actually quite disappointed that the King wouldn't be able to contact her through the crystal. She felt it would be safer if he could contact her too. What if something happened to her before she had time to contact him? He wouldn't know. Yet, she guessed there was nothing she could do, and a small part of her was glad he couldn't spy on her.

"Well, " began Jareth. "If that is all, I have a Kingdom to run. Be safe, Sarah. Keep the crystal with you."

The Goblin King vanished as she attempted to speak. Suddenly alone, she began to wonder if she had made the right decision to explore and find her friends by herself, but she couldn't have stayed with the King the whole time, she just couldn't. However, she partly wished she had asked more questions about the Labyrinth. She had so many that had been burning away inside of her since her first visit, but those questions would have to wait.

Looking in both directions along the path she decided to turn to her left, purely because there were more old tree branches and dead, crispy leaves strewn along the path in that direction compared to the other. It looked slightly less desolate. Last time she had ran fast down this trail, but now with no time limits upon her she could walk at her own pace and enjoy the magical qualities that the Labyrinth possessed. It was all really quite fascinating now that she had more time to think about it; she couldn't wait to explore the maze further.

Sarah hadn't walked far along the path when she heard quick, little footsteps coming up behind her. Panicked, she jumped around not knowing what to expect but smiled when she realised it was her Dwarf friend, Hoggle.

Hoggle was running towards Sarah, his short legs moving as fast as they possibly could. His big eyes looked focused and his wrinkled face was welcomed by Sarah.

"Hoggle!" She cried running towards him and embracing him in a bear hug.

"I thought I'd never catch up," said Hoggle, trying to catch his breath. "Jareth said you wouldn't be very far ahead."

"The King sent you?" Sarah asked feeling surprised, though she probably shouldn't have been. How else would Hoggle have known where she was?

"Well, yes," answered Hoggle feeling his face flush. Luckily for him, a Dwarf's embarrassment didn't portray clearly through rosy cheeks like humans and Sarah would have to be looking very closely to notice.

"Worried about me was he?" Sarah joked though she did wonder if deep down the King was concerned for her. After all, he had gave her the crystal.

"Yes," Hoggle replied instantly, suddenly feeling even more awkward. "Well, no. It's just the Labyrinth isn't always safe and he thought it would be better if I were to guide you."

Jareth had made Hoggle promise not to talk to Sarah about him. The King did not enjoy being discussed. Although Jareth could not hide his true feelings from Hoggle, who now worked as an assistant to him in the castle, he preferred to come across as powerful and perhaps a little arrogant to others as he thought it would be safer for his heart. He had always believed that it was better to be feared than to be loved. However, it was this fear that sometimes cost him that which he desired. As he had become so accustomed to not allow himself to love, when he tried, he nearly always failed.

"Aww, he is concerned about me," laughed Sarah, half in disbelief, the other half puzzled.

"The Labyrinth isn't a safe place," Hoggle stated matter-of-factly. "I think we should turn back now. Call Jareth and you should go home. This isn't the place for you."

"Why does everyone keep telling me to turn back?" Sarah snapped. "I've been to the Labyrinth before. I know it has dangers. You were sent by the King to persuade me to leave weren't you?"

"No," lied Hoggle. In truth, Jareth had said Hoggle should persuade her to leave if possible, but if that failed then he was to remain with her at all times. Jareth had put a spell on Hoggle so he could watch his whereabouts through another crystal ball. As long as Hoggle was with Sarah, he would be able to keep watch on Sarah too.

"That's not fair," Sarah responded. She couldn't believe the King had even brought her here if he just wanted her to leave. She couldn't fathom him out. Nevertheless, knowing Hoggle wouldn't leave her alone in the Labyrinth, she continued, "Now where will we find Ludo and Sir Didymus?"


	7. Chapter 7: Into The Labyrinth

Chapter 7: Into The Labyrinth

Knowing that he'd never persuade Sarah to leave, Hoggle began to guide her through the Labyrinth towards The Bog of Eternal Stench as he knew that would be where they would find Sir Didymus. Sir Didymus still guarded the bridge that was the only entrance and exit to the bog. Since Sarah's last visit where the old rickety bridge had collapsed, the King had replaced it with a new stone bridge that would only allow those to pass that Sir Didymus gave permission to. The brave fox knight was proud of his role, and the King had honoured him with the official title of 'The Bog Guard' which although may not seem like much to many, it meant a great deal to Sir Didymus.

Where they would find Ludo though Hoggle had no clue. Although Ludo had caused him no harm, he remembered Ludo's loud roaring only too well and Ludo still frightened him. Sarah had before labelled Hoggle a 'coward' and he knew she was right. That was the main reason he had accepted the post of the King's assistant; he knew that if he spent most of his time in the castle, he was much safer than if he continued to wander the Labyrinth by himself. As a lowly Dwarf, defending himself against some parts of the Labyrinth, particularly some of the Fae when they ventured out of their homes, wasn't easy. The castle itself, and the fact he now worked for the King generally made him less of a target. His only hope now was that Sir Didymus would know of Ludo's whereabouts.

So far their journey through the Labyrinth had been rather uneventful. Aside from having to find a few hidden passages and doorways to get out of some locations they had found themselves in, there had been nothing too challenging to overcome. Sarah had been amazed by some of the areas they had been through having seen a mixture of beautiful architecture and also some plain creepy, dark and dingy areas. Hoggle found her enthusiasm entertaining though he couldn't really understand it.

"See I said this would be a piece of cake," Sarah commented though she knew that without Hoggle she may have struggled to find some of the hidden doorways they had used.

"Don't speak too soon," Hoggle warned. "The Labyrinth keeps changing. Finding somewhere is no easy task, that is without coming across any of the other dangers the Labyrinth possesses."

Sarah looked around as she walked through the woods that they had found themselves in. Aside from some gaps in the leaves of the tall trees that surrounded them, which allowed the bright yellow rays of the sun to come through, it was rather dark in the woods. There were many small pathways, some which looked almost impossible to pass. Brambles filled many of the gaps between the trees and so far it had been almost silent.

Suddenly, a nearby bush began to move slightly and the leaves beneath it began to rustle.

"Run!" Yelled Hoggle. He turned one hundred and eighty degrees and darted straight into Sarah's legs, almost knocking her off balance. She was about to turn around too but stopped after spotting a small, grey rabbit hop out from under the bush.

"Hoggle!" She laughed turning him around to face the bush.

Upon seeing the rabbit he simply said, "Oh. A rabbit. That's what I thought." Though his heart was still beating extremely fast.

"Fancy being scared of a tiny little rabbit," mocked Sarah.

"That's easy for you to say," grumbled Hoggle in response. "You haven't seen some of the things that can jump out on you in this Labyrinth. Trust me, the woods is definitely not somewhere you would want to be at night. That's for sure."

"Okay, okay," said Sarah knowing that she had upset Hoggle. "So how much further until we get to the Bog?"

"That's a stupid question," answered Hoggle gruffly. "The Labyrinth changes. You just have to hope you're getting closer and not further away."

"What?" Exclaimed Sarah.

"Well look at it this way," Hoggle began to explain. "Paths in the Labyrinth change. Different things you come across may force you to change direction. It's always a slightly different route every time. You learn to recognise roughly where you need to go once you've been here a long time but even then it's not easy. The Labyrinth is alive. Sometimes it will help you, other times it will force you out."

"Are we headed the right way or not?"

"I think so," commented Hoggle. "You can never be certain. However, I know the Bog is somewhere in the woods so I would hope it's not far."

They continued to walk along one of the many paths for what felt like hours to Sarah. The wood was a maze in itself. Everywhere Sarah looked appeared the same. She often felt like she had gone through the same parts twice though Hoggle assured her that they hadn't. It would be easy to get lost. The lines of towering, dark green trees seemed endless and Sarah was hoping that they would soon reach Sir Didymus as she was beginning to feel hungry.

"Ahh," exclaimed Hoggle breaking Sarah out of her dazed thoughts. Ahead the path split into three directions, all labelled as different locations in the Labyrinth.

"Let's take the one that says 'The Bog of Eternal Stench', Sarah said turning to her left. However, just as she did so the carved writing on the signs disappeared. When it returned the paths were labelled differently to what they had been moments before.

"Well that could be a problem," mumbled Hoggle. He knew that it would now be impossible to know if they were heading the right way once they took a path. They would just have to hope they picked correctly.

"The signs keep changing," Sarah observed in frustration. "The Bog of Eternal Stench, The Village and The Castle. Now what do we do?"

"We pick. And we hope we pick right." Hoggle prayed they would choose the right path. Even if they went wrong and ended up at the castle Hoggle knew there wouldn't be too much danger, unless they came across any dangerous beings in the wood on their way. Most importantly, he knew that the last place they wanted to end up would be The Village. The Village was too unpredictable.

"So which way?"


	8. Chapter 8: Left Turn

Chapter 8: Left Turn

Sarah had insisted they still take the left turn as the sign had originally labelled that way as The Bog of Eternal Stench. Also, it looked like it went deeper into the woods; as that was where the Bog was located she thought that would be their most likely option. Hoggle didn't share her confidence knowing how tricky the Labyrinth was, but he had no clue as to what to pick so just agreed with Sarah's decision.

The path for the first few hundred metres didn't appear to be overly different than those they had already explored in the woods. The gigantic trees continued to surround them and brambles prevented them from straying off the path. However, one thing Sarah began to notice is that unlike the other paths, there weren't any other passageways branching off of this one; there was only one way to go. Though it meant that they didn't have any difficult decisions to make about which direction to go, it unsettled her slightly. The further down the trail they got she felt that it was forcing them to go a certain way. The only other option would be to turn back where they came from. She just hoped they had picked the right trail.

After they had been walking for about half an hour the brambles began to get thinner until they disappeared and a small stream began to run alongside them. Noticeably, the trees and bushes began to get brighter, the greens much more fluorescent than the dark shades that they had been surrounded by for so long. The sun blazed through and ahead Sarah thought she could see an opening.

"Oh no," grumbled Hoggle stopping dead in his tracks. He turned and grabbed Sarah's hand attempting to pull her back the way they had came.

"Hoggle!" Sarah exclaimed, confused by Hoggle's sudden u-turn.

"Wrong way," explained Hoggle briefly. "That definitely isn't The Bog of Eternal Stench."

"It looks beautiful," Sarah commented, shaking her hands free from Hoggle's grasp and continuing down the path towards the opening.

"Sarah!" Hoggle yelled attempting to get her to stop. To his frustration she just kept going.

As the trees cleared, the sunshine reflected on the stream making it look like it was made from crystals. The sound of running water and birds singing could be heard, it was by far the most stunning part of the Labyrinth that Sarah had seen. She followed the flow of the stream with her eyes, then realising as it disappeared out of sight that they appeared to be on top of a cliff.

"Isn't this amazing?" Sarah smiled at Hoggle who returned her smile with a frown. He couldn't have disagreed more. He knew they must be near the Village. He had never been to the Village before because it was where the Fae lived. The Fae were unpredictable creatures who would target whoever and whatever they pleased if they felt like it. Hoggle knew it was impossible to trust them. Out of all the creatures in the Labyrinth, at least of all the creatures Hoggle had encountered, the Fae were the most powerful as they all possessed some kind of magic. Like the Fae themselves, their magic was also unpredictable. Some could turn you to stone, others could make you freeze. They all had different abilities that were often impossible to avoid. Not all Fae were bad, Hoggle had met his fair share of kind Fae on his travels, but he would still never fully trust any of them. Of course, Jareth too was one of the Fae. Although Hoggle had learnt to have great respect for the King, he couldn't even say he could trust him.

"This looks so different compared to other parts of the Labyrinth," Sarah observed as she strolled towards the edge of the cliff. Hoggle trailed behind warily, keeping an eye out for danger.

"Wow, it's breathtaking," Sarah gasped as she looked over the edge of the cliff. Small, blue waterfalls splashed down hillsides, the grass below in the valley simply dazzling. Sarah had only seen such sights in movies. Never did she think she could encounter anything so extraordinary in her life. At the bottom of the cliff they were standing on was a huge, sky blue lake which sparkled in the sun's rays. Gentle ripples skimmed across the lakes surface, created by the motion of the little waterfalls that all flowed into that same pool of water.

Looking further down the valley below them, Sarah could see many bright flowers blooming in all the colours of the rainbow. There was a small red brick path that led from the lake, through the flowers and to what looked like a small Village composed of many quaint cottages of all different colours.

As Hoggle reached the edge of the cliff, even he gaped at the view in awe of its beauty. He had seen his fair share of pretty things in the Labyrinth, but none had matched this. He had a burning desire to find the way down the hillside into the valley, but remembering himself he once again clutched Sarah's hand and tried to pull her away.

"This is the Village?" Sarah asked, staying rooted to the spot.

"Yes," replied Hoggle abruptly. "It's not safe."

"Well, it doesn't look dangerous to me." Sarah noticed what looked like the top of a ladder just peering over the top of the cliff several metres away from them. "Let's go and explore it. What could possibly live in such a beautiful place that would be bad?"

Hoggle tried to protest, but Sarah being too strong for him had already pushed him aside and began the long climb down the ladder. He needed to warn her about the Fae but he knew deep inside that it would probably make her more curious. He wanted to turn back as he knew this wouldn't be good.

"Are you coming or not?" Sarah yelled up towards the top of the cliff.

His heart beating fast, Hoggle hesitated. Jareth was going to be so angry that he had let Sarah go to the Village. However, he guessed he would be more angry if he let Sarah go alone.

"I'm coming," Hoggle shouted back, carefully lowering himself onto the ladder.


	9. Chapter 9: Jareth

Chapter 9: Jareth

Watching his crystal ball intently Jareth lounged on his throne completely enraptured by Hoggle and Sarah's journey. They had gone so far so quickly. Although Hoggle's knowledge of the Labyrinth had certainly been of some assistance to Sarah, a lot of their progress had been down to Sarah alone much to the King's amusement. He chuckled to himself as he thought of just how little Sarah had changed over the past eight years. Already having seen that she remained demanding and naive, watching her through the crystal he could see that she also had that same enthusiasm, determination and curiosity too.

Placing Hoggle with Sarah had been Jareth's best idea so far. Knowing that although he couldn't use his magic on Sarah, even to watch her from a distance, he had no problem activating the crystal so that he could watch Hoggle's movements. Therefore, as long as Sarah was with Hoggle, he could follow her journey through the Labyrinth too.

He wished he could be the one guiding Sarah through his Labyrinth, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. For one, he knew that Sarah would probably reject the idea if ever he suggested it. Jareth believed Sarah liked the slight danger there was to exploring the Labyrinth; he guessed that with him present she wouldn't find it so thrilling. However, most of all he knew that albeit unknowingly to her, if she were with him she could potentially be in more danger.

Since Sarah's first trip to the Labyrinth there had been some unrest. Although nothing major had occurred, Jareth had heard rumours from some of the Fae, mainly those who had been his childhood friends, that other members of the Fae community planned to overthrow the King. Jareth couldn't find out much about it no matter how hard he tried. Often he would watch different members of the Fae through a crystal to see if he could catch any clues as to what was going on. He had found nothing. Although his own powers were strong he knew they could still be blocked by other magic and it unsettled him. As a result he was venturing less and less out of the Goblin City, knowing that whilst in the city under the guard of his loyal Goblins, he was safe.

Being royalty of course there was always that threat of being overthrown. That is one of the reasons why Jareth had first agreed to create the Goblin city. The Goblin's were often targeted by some of the Fae and by some of the other creatures in the Labyrinth. Jareth agreed to keep them safe by creating them a city in return for their loyalty and protection. Due to how many years they had been targets, there weren't that many of them left. Consequently Jareth promised to make more goblins to make them a stronger force.

It had taken a while for Jareth to come up with a plan for creating more Goblins, but after seeing some of the Fae resent caring for their children, Jareth came up with a plan that could potentially help humans who were finding their children too much as well as help the Goblin community. Jareth would take difficult children away and give the parents their dreams in return. He also wiped their memories so they would have no recollection of their child in case they ever changed their mind. He couldn't risk them looking for his Labyrinth. In the past two hundred years that he had been providing that service, he had created an extra few hundred Goblins to add to the original eighty.

However, since Sarah's mission to save her brother, he hadn't taken any more babies away. Something had changed in him then. Witnessing how much love one could have for their family through Sarah's determination to save her brother, it made him reconsider his conduct. He had always thought that his actions were for a good purpose, to take a child away from an environment in which it may feel unwanted, but Sarah made him realise that however frustrated a child may make their parents or carer feel, that in most cases once they had calmed down, the love was always there.

Jareth's own parents had died when he was very young and he could barely remember them. He wondered if that was why he didn't before realise the effect his actions could have had on human families. Although he had witnessed the love between different families in the Labyrinth, nothing had quite jolted his memory like Sarah. He had lived isolated in his castle for so long that eight years ago was the awakening he probably needed, though not one he entirely welcomed. He much preferred to avoid his feelings than confront them.

Still focused on his crystal ball, he watched Sarah and Hoggle trudge through the woods, both looking as lost as ever. _At least they are close_ , Jareth thought. Although nowhere was ever easy to find in the Labyrinth, he knew that being in the forest meant they were in the right area. He was surprised at how little Hoggle and Sarah had spoken on their journey. As old friends, particularly with the amount of times Hoggle had chatted about Sarah to him, he thought they would have lots to discuss.

"Hoggle probably knows I'll be watching," the King whispered to himself upon realising that was probably why Hoggle was so silent. He had warned Hoggle not to say too much to Sarah and the dwarf was probably too frightened to land himself in trouble.

As Sarah had been young when she first came to the Labyrinth Jareth wasn't sure what her exact interpretation of the past events would be. Hoggle hadn't been fooled. After having only worked with Jareth for a few months after Sarah first left, he knew there had been something more to the King's actions then and he'd hinted to the King about it before. Jareth never entertained the conversations Hoggle had attempted to start but he hadn't either denied or confirmed Hoggle's accusations. Deep down, Jareth knew Hoggle had been at least partly right. _Had it been love?_ He wasn't sure. But Sarah's determination, enthusiasm and strong will had definitely made him respect her. _Why else would he have wanted her to stay?_

Something the King noticed through the ball made Jareth forget his thoughts about the past and focus on the present. Interestingly the path had divided into three directions. He saw them take the left trail and his heart began to beat faster out of fear that they would end up at the Village.

Even he wasn't sure which route would lead them to the Bog. Although it was his Labyrinth and he could manipulate certain elements of it, it had been created thousands of years before his existence. He only gone on to develop and rule it. As much as he had originally wanted to change it to make it safer and easier to navigate, he had realised that the Labyrinth had been created the way it was for important reasons. Not only did the maze prevent unwanted visitors from ever getting through, it prevented its inhabitants from ever knowing exactly where to find their foe. Additionally, the Labyrinth's dangers prevented any creature from becoming too power hungry; they all first and foremost would fear the maze itself.

Powerful magic put Jareth at an advantage compared to most creatures which is why he managed to take over the maze as his own. His gift of using crystal balls created many possibilities as they allowed him to see and create dreams, watch upon those he desired, and also focus on places he wished to be and within seconds he could be there. Therefore, for him the Labyrinth was reasonably easy to navigate but even his power had its limitations. Oubliette's stopped others magic from working once inside, so if he ever found himself trapped his magic would not help him escape. Additionally, using the crystals for travel, he could only journey to a place he had been before, or to a place where a person he was watching was at the time. Even after all these years, he still hadn't been to every house or hidden place in the Labyrinth.

His heart began to pound as he continued to watch Hoggle and Sarah. As they neared the edge of the woods he felt queasy because he knew that they were arriving at the Village. The bright greens of the Village pastures were unmistakeable. The Village was one of the most vibrant locations in the Labyrinth and sometimes he missed the beauty of the place in which he had grown up compared to the dull, grey stone surroundings of the Goblin City. He wasn't surprised when he saw Sarah's awestruck reaction to her new stunning view. He could only hope Hoggle could stop her from exploring the Village. He trusted Hoggle would know that it may not be safe for them. Jareth couldn't say for certain it would be dangerous, but he would rather they didn't take their chances. The Fae were too unpredictable.

Tension consumed Jareth's body as he suddenly saw Sarah shake free from Hoggle's grasp and begin to descend the ladder into the Village. He threw the crystal ball that was in his hand across the room out of frustration. It shattered on the cold concrete floor, echoing as it did so.

"Excuse me your majesty," a small Goblin grumbled, peering into the room. "Is everything okay?"

Jareth nodded and waved the Goblin away before quickly creating another glass ball so that he could continue to watch from afar.


	10. Chapter 10: The Village

Author's note: I know we're not meant to have these in the middle of the story but I wanted to quickly apologise at how long it has taken me to post this chapter. I have had the flu and felt like I wouldn't write as well when sick, so waited until I felt better to continue the story!

Chapter 10: The Village

As Sarah reached the bottom of the ladder she began to be able to smell all the flowers that were down in the valley; she could hear birds singing too. Next to her the lake continued to glisten in the sunshine and the place made Sarah's body relax.

"This is just the most beautiful place here," commented Sarah to Hoggle as he clambered off the bottom of the ladder. "Who lives in those houses?" She glanced along towards the variety of small, colourful cottages further down in the valley.

"Fae," answered Hoggle. "This is the Fae's village."

"What are the Fae?"

"Wrongly in human myths they're often confused with fairies. They're similar I guess. Though only fairies actually have wings. They both possess some sort of magic and are often both beautiful, though that's not always the case. Remember the fairy you met when you first came here? It bit you. Well fairies always have a bad temper and thankfully their magic isn't very strong. They're just good at using it to steal things. Whereas the Fae are much more like humans. They are not easy to trust because they are all different and their moods constantly change. However, they usually possess rather strong magic so it's not good to get on their bad side. They are too unpredictable. Jareth is one of the Fae."

"Oh," mumbled Sarah not really knowing what to say. "I did always wonder what he was.." She paused. "If he's one of them then how come he doesn't live here? It's much nicer than the Kingdom."

"It's a long story," Hoggle began to speak. "His parents died when he was young and not many were keen on him becoming the leader of the Fae at a young age. As I said, the Fae aren't to be trusted so it was safer for Jareth to find allies elsewhere and now he is the Goblin King, ruler of all the Labyrinth."

Sarah was intrigued by this story and wanted to ask more questions. However, she thought better of it as they were now nearing the houses in the Village. A few houses along she could see a couple of young Fae playing together outside. As soon as they noticed her they stopped and stared.

"Umm, hello," said Sarah as she approached them.

"What is this?" a voice bellowed out and as Sarah turned around she saw an adult male Fae coming towards her in what can only be described as a rather aggressive demeanour.

"It's Sarah!" A woman's voice shrieked as she came to join the gathering crowd.

"Sarah?" the male replied, confused.

"You don't remember her? From Jareth's ball eight years ago? She burst the crystal."

"Oh that was you?" he asked turning to Sarah.

"Yes I guess so," answered Sarah vaguely, not sure of what the Fae were going to make of her. Quite a few had gathered round now and she began to feel nervous.

"And now that we've had a lovely reunion, Sarah and I must go," Hoggle interrupted grabbing Sarah by the hand, this time with no resistance from her.

"Why the hurry little Dwarf?" Another Fae stepped into their path. "You must stay and we must all get to know each other. We would love to get to know the infamous Sarah."

"Since her, Jareth's stopped his plight to get more human babies and it makes us curious," another interjected. "What changed? Jareth never says."

"Sorry but we are really pushed for time," said Hoggle nervously. "We are meant to be meeting friends."

"Just one drink?" the female Fae who had first recognised Sarah asked. Now that Sarah looked at her she could see she was very beautiful with pale skin and long dark hair. Back at the ball Sarah hadn't noticed any of the Fae's beauty as their faces had all been covered up in strange masks except for Jareth.

Knowing they wouldn't get away easily Hoggle agreed to the drink, hoping that they would find an opportunity to sneak out.

The female fae who had since introduced herself as Anastantia led them through the brightly coloured houses until they reached a much darker stone building which had a sign that read 'The Village Tavern.' The building, although different from the other colourful buildings in the village, still encompassed a different kind of magnificence. Inside, fairy lights and candles lit up the room and the way the lights were hung on the ceiling reminded Sarah of stars shining in a clear night sky. Although the building had looked small from the outside, inside it was in fact quite large. Sarah wondered if the small cottages that the Fae owned were the same and whether magic had been used to create that effect.

Sarah sat on a stool near the bar which had strings of flowers wrapped around the legs. Everything was decorated perfectly so that it felt like you were outside. Hoggle stood next to her. He couldn't reach to get up on one of the stools and didn't want to admit to anybody that he wasn't capable of doing so.

"There you go," Anastantia said, handing them both a small glass of a vibrant turquoise liquid.

"What is it?" Asked Sarah having not seen anything quite like it before. In a Tavern she had expected to have been handed a beer, but then this was the Labyrinth after all.

"Oh so curious," Anastantia giggled with a sly smile. "It's a homemade cocktail. We're famous for it."

It wasn't long before the Fae were all crowded in small groups having what looked like serious discussions. They hadn't spoken much to Sarah or Hoggle at all. There were twenty or so Fae in the bar and many kept taking a peek a Sarah which made her feel slightly self concious. Certain that they were talking about her, she decided to have a sip of the drink to calm her nerves.

"Don't drink that!" Hoggle whispered in a sharp tone. "I've never heard of the Fae being famous for cocktails and I wouldn't trust one as far as I could throw them."

Sarah stopped mid sip and replied, "Hoggle, with you being a Dwarf I can't imagine you could throw them very far." She gave a playful smile.

"No seriously, we need to get out of here. Follow me." With that, Hoggle rushed towards the exit, Sarah following quickly behind not sure what to make of the situation. As soon as they were out the door Hoggle began to run encouraging Sarah to do the same. She wasn't sure if he was overreacting but she decided to follow him anyway.

"There she is!" Sarah heard a voice behind her yell and she hesitated and looked back. Lots of the Fae were running after them and none looked all too pleased.

Hoggle was now quite far ahead and Sarah could feel the panic embracing her body. Running like the wind she was determined to catch up with Hoggle and she was so close when suddenly she felt someone push her and she fell to the ground.

Hearing a commotion, Hoggle turned to see Sarah face down on the ground and the Fae had began to surround her. He wasn't sure what to do but his cowardly nature encouraged him to keep running. So that he did, leaving Sarah alone.


	11. Chapter 11: Jareth's Fury

Chapter 11: Jareth's Fury

The King felt tense as Anastantia invited Sarah and Hoggle for a drink. There was no real purpose to this that he could see. Two small reasons he could think of. Firstly that the Fae wanted to get to know Sarah as she had been the one that had stopped him from creating new Goblins. The other purpose could possibly be to somehow use Sarah against him. He hoped that the second idea wouldn't be true but unfortunately the dizziness in his stomach told him that it was much more likely.

Before, Anastantia had been one of Jareth's closest friends and had remained so until eight years ago. She had never expressed that she didn't value their friendship any more directly to him, but she had become more distant and of that he was wary. They had both grown up together and Anastantia's parents had taken him in for a while after his parents death, though he was soon cast out when trouble brewed over Jareth being the new leader of the Fae. However, Anastantia had always stood by him and fought for his right to be King. She had been one of the few Fae that he could trust, though now he doubted her.

A strong urge to go to the Village and take Sarah away from it overcome him but he knew that with the amount of Fae there that it could make the situation worse. Watching from afar and hoping for the best was all he could really do for now.

Jareth sat transfixed when Sarah and Hoggle were handed drinks. Although by sight the King couldn't tell what had been put in them, he could tell that they had certainly been tampered with. To his relief Hoggle had realised this and prevented Sarah from drinking the concoction before encouraging her to scarper.

Hoggle sped off quickly once they exited the tavern. The dwarf was yelling at Sarah to run as though she wasn't following. With Sarah disappearing from his view through the crystal, Jareth knew Hoggle had left Sarah to the mercy of the Fae. He could see that Hoggle was running back the way Sarah and himself had previously entered the Village. Jareth knew he could intercept him.

It wasn't long before Jareth saw Hoggle's head appear over the edge of the cliff as he clambered up the ladder. Hoggle's face was full of fear as he ran through the lush green field towards the woods. Not really checking where he was going he fell flat on the floor as Jareth blocked his path, stopping him in his tracks.

"And where do you think you're going?" Asked Jareth, biting his tongue. He could easily start shouting at Hoggle; he was furious. However, he didn't want to draw any attention to them in case any of the Fae were nearby and Jareth always tried to remain as composed as possible.

"Sire," Hoggle winced, blinking as the bright sun rays filled his eyes as he opened them as he lay on the floor. Slowly he began to sit up, eventually standing upon his short legs, barely coming up to Jareth's waist. "Well, I was coming back to find Sir Didymus and Ludo with Sarah." Feigning surprise as he look around them he continued, "Where has the little lady gone? She said she was coming with me to find them."

Feeling angry, Jareth jabbed Hoggle in the ribs with his knee, the pain making Hoggle once again fall to the ground.

"You left her!" Jareth seethed. "As soon as she disappeared from view in the crystal ball I knew that something wasn't right. She was certainly right to call you a coward."

"But you can't watch her," panted Hoggle, struggling for breath.

"I was watching you instead you fool! You're not blocked from my magic. What happened?"

"Ah," responded Hoggle. "Well when I told Sarah to run, she hesitated. When I turned back to see if she was behind me, I saw her laying on the grass completely surrounded. There was nothing I could have done, sir."

Jareth began to pace up and down just to burn some of the energy coming from his building frustration. He felt helpless not being able to use a crystal to watch her now. _How could he know if she was safe? Or even where she was?_ He wanted to go straight into the Village and demand to see her but he knew it could be a trap and only a fool would entertain the idea of risking that to save a girl. He needed to use his head and not his heart to save her.

 _Why was he so bothered anyway? She was just a human girl._ A million thoughts raced through his mind at once. He was livid that she had been taken, he was annoyed with himself for caring and he was fuming with Hoggle because of his cowardly ways. He knew he should never have let Sarah return to the Labyrinth. He had given into her desires too easily, knowing that it wouldn't be good for either of them if she returned. He could have continued his life without her but his selfish side had wanted to see her, to fill a big hole that had appeared when she had left those eight years ago.

"So, what are we going to do?"Queried Hoggle, disturbing the King's thoughts.

Usually the King had a quick response for everything but this time Jareth didn't know what to say, hesitating before responding. "We can't do anything alone." He had never felt so helpless before and he was struggling to deal with all the new feelings encompassing him.

"They are using Sarah to trap you?" Asked Hoggle, deep down already knowing the answer. With all the unrest that had been brewing, Sarah was the ammunition the Fae needed. Their magic alone wasn't enough but combined with bait they were a powerful force. The Fae were known for being merciless to get their own way and Hoggle couldn't see a truly positive outcome to this situation.

"We are going to need an army."


	12. Chapter 12: Resistance

Chapter 12: Resistance

Bang! Something that sounded like a door slamming woke Sarah and her eyes shot open. Her head felt fuzzy and the ground she was lying on was cold. As her eyes adjusted to the almost pitch black room she tried to look around but it was empty aside from a small, wooden table and on it a tiny glass of turquoise liquid was placed in the centre. Feeling thirsty, Sarah heaved herself up from the floor and went to drink the concoction, not caring what it was but just wanting to relieve her dry throat.

"Ah, no more of that," a female voice said as a figure moved out from the pitch black corner of the room and took the glass away from Sarah's reach.

"I'm so thirsty," moaned Sarah in response.

"Then have this." A glass of water was handed to Sarah in replacement.

"Where am I?" Asked Sarah after chugging down the whole glass of water. The fire in her throat began to settle and she started to feel more anxious. "Who are you?"

"I'm Anastantia," the brunette female responded, lighting a candle to brighten the room so that Sarah could see her more clearly. "Don't you remember?"

"No," Sarah replied in confusion. She looked the woman up and down but she was certain she hadn't seen her although at the same time she was astounded by her beauty.

"What has he done to you?" Tutted Anastantia. "I knew he was up to no good. He must have affected your memory with this liquid." Smashing the glass with the blue concoction in, she smiled, and went to put her arm around Sarah. She was happy that Sarah didn't seem to resist though she was certainly tense. Perhaps this would all be easier than Anastantia had ever imagined. "What is the last thing you remember, Sarah?"

"Toby was staying at my new apartment." With rising panic she shook out of Anastantia's grasp. "I have to find Toby! What happened?"

Anastantia instantly recognised the name as she had heard Sarah shout it back at the ball eight years ago just before she smashed the crystal. It must have been the name of the boy she had come to the Labyrinth to save before. Smirking to herself she knew she could use this to her advantage.

"You really have no idea where he is?" She probed.

"No," spluttered Sarah. "We were both in my apartment and that is the last thing I remember. Is this one of my dreams?"

"Unfortunately this isn't a dream but I will explain to you what you have forgotten and I will help you get your brother back safely," said Anastantia calmly. "But you have to trust me."

Seeing no other option, Sarah nodded in response. "I don't understand what has gone on. Where am I? Where's Toby?"

"Well," began Anastantia. "Let me first begin by telling you that you are in fact back in the Labyrinth."

"What?" Sarah gasped. "I knew it! I knew it was real! But how? Please don't tell me Toby is here too?"

"Please sit and stay calm while I tell you everything," instructed Anastantia. "Don't interrupt as there is no time to waste."

Sarah sat back down on the hard floor, leaning against the wall and felt a shiver go down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was because the wall was ice cold or because she was anxious to hear why or how she was stuck in the Labyrinth again.

"Jareth has had you locked in here since yesterday," Anastasia began, taking a seat next to Sarah, neatly folding her beautiful flowing dress underneath her. "Since you defeated him he was so mad that he vowed to take revenge and I guess that time has come. I have been friends with him for a long time but he has been getting more and more reckless and now the creatures of the Labyrinth are terrified of him, myself included. His reign of terror needs to be put to an end. That blue drink I smashed, he has been controlling you with that, making your memories blur. I believe he has your brother in his castle, at least I have heard rumours of a human boy being seen there. Over the past few years a resistance has been growing, led by myself and a few of our people, the Fae. We haven't tried to surpass Jareth yet as we have not felt strong enough but we feel now that he has your brother that we must act or it will be too late! We want to help you get your brother back and stop Jareth from destroying everything."

"He has Toby?" Sarah could hear the horror in her voice. "But his magic is powerful and he has the Goblins..." Sarah trailed off as she received an icy glare from Anastantia.

"Please don't interrupt," she repeated. "Yes he has powerful magic but you defeated him Sarah. His powers won't work against you now. You're immune. As a united force he won't stand a chance against us and we can save your brother and the Labyrinth itself. Myself and other members of the resistance can fight the Goblins to get you safely into the castle to kill Jareth and save your brother."

"Kill Jareth?" Sarah screamed leaping to her feet. "I can't. I can't kill him. Can't we just lock him up?"

"No!" Cried Anastantia. "He'd escape with his magic. You are the only thing immune to his power. If he lives you can never guarantee your own safety or that of your brother. You have to do it for Toby!"

Sarah stood speechless, absorbing Anastantia's words. _Was it really the only way? If he were dead then they would always be safe._

"You know that I speak the truth," stated Anastantia. "And you trust me?"

"Yes," replied Sarah. "I suppose I have to."


	13. Chapter 13: Finding Friends

Chapter 13: Finding Friends

Needing to act quickly, Jareth used his magic to transport Hoggle to the Bog of Eternal Stench to find Sir Didymus before reluctantly retreating to the castle himself. He wanted to be doing something more active, but knew that Hoggle was right; he would be safer for now in the castle.

Steadying himself after landing at the edge of the bog, Hoggle peered around looking for signs of his friend though he guessed he would probably be somewhere near the bridge. Carefully he trod his way through the small dirt path towards the grotesque smell that was lingering in the air; the stronger the smell was, then the nearer the bog would be.

Sure enough, as the new magical bridge that crossed the bog came into sight, Hoggle could see that Sir Didymus was at his regular post in the hollow of a tree, atop his noble bearded collie, Ambrosious. As usual all was quiet near the bog because generally it was an area many avoided. On occasion one rogue creature may try and dunk or abandon an enemy in the Bog of Eternal Stench, but Sir Didymus usually did a good job to stop it from happening. Some said touching the bog was a fate worse than death snd therefore it was reserved as punishment for those who had done the most heinous of crimes, though in the Labyrinth there were no real laws.

Hearing twigs crunching, Ambrosious began to shake in fear but Sir Didymus urged him forward into the path of the incoming intruder.

"No one may cross without my..." Sir Didymus paused mid-sentence after realising that it was Hoggle who was approaching. "Hoggle, how nice to see you."

"Sarah is in trouble," Hoggle began, stopping as he reached his friends.

"Sarah?" Sir Didymus questioned, not sure if he had heard the name correctly. "What can we do for her?"

"The Fae have got her," explained Hoggle. "They kidnapped her. I think they want to use her to get to Jareth and he sent me for your help."

"She's in the Labyrinth? What? How?" Asked Sir Didymus in shock, but continued after seeing Hoggle's face which told him to hurry. "Of course I shall help. In what way?"

"Well, we don't have much of a plan yet," muttered Hoggle, flustered. He continued to explain in more detail to Sir Didymus what had happened. Hoggle believed that if they went to rescue Sarah from The Village that there would be a trap waiting. Sir Didymus agreed.

"A very difficult situation indeed," stated Sir Didymus, fuddling his brow. "You would certainly think that they'll be expecting us to infiltrate The Village. We need to be less obvious. Well the more of us we have, the more plans we can come up with. Let us go and find Ludo. You never know when his rock calling affinity may come in useful!"

Quickly he turned Ambrosious and trotted off along the trail with Hoggle following close behind.

After finding their way through a few pathways in the woods they came to a cave in the side of a small, moss-covered mountain at edge of the looming trees, only a few minutes from where Sir Didymus was stationed at the bog. The cave was huge and also notably very dark inside which unsettled Hoggle, making him want to turn around. Looking at Ambrosious quivering, Hoggle realised he wasn't the only one who didn't like the look of the cave.

"Ludo!" Shouted Sir Didymus as loudly as he could at the entrance to the cave. The sound echoed off the walls, repeating like a stone skimming across water, getting smaller until it disappeared, leaving an eerie silence.

"Who's there?" Ludo's gruff voice came from the darkness, followed by the sound of slow, stomping footsteps. Gradually Ludo's outline appeared in the shadows and Hoggle began to relax one he could see Ludo's ginger hair appear. Although Ludo had turned out to be a gentle giant, Hoggle still didn't feel entirely comfortable around him. He didn't like the bellowing sound of his roar when he was summoning rocks and additionally, he had horns. From experience, Hoggle didn't trust creatures with horns; he had never had good experiences with them.

"Hello friend," grumbled Ludo. He stomped his way over to Sir Didymus and lifted both him and Ambrosious in the air, hugging them tightly. Ludo had always longed for friends after being targeted in the Labyrinth for years. Sarah was the first person who had shown him compassion. She had not feared him for being a big, ugly beast. Ludo had been extremely sad when Sarah had left the Labyrinth eight years before, so Sir Didymus decided to look after him, finding him the cave to live in so that he wouldn't be far away. That way he hoped that Ludo would feel less alone.

"Not just a friendly visit today," said Sir Didymus as Ludo lowered his friends to the ground. He looked at Hoggle watching from nearby as Sir Didymus continued.

"Sarah has returned to the Labyrinth..."

"Sarah?" Ludo interrupted. "Sarah friend?"

"Yes, Sarah," yapped Sir Didymus. "But she is in trouble Ludo, and we all need to make our way to the castle to work out what we can do to help."

"Sarah, trouble," repeated Ludo.

"Yes that's right Ludo," nodded Sir Didymus. "Now come along. And you Hoggle. We all need to get moving and figure out how to help Sarah."

Having been watching Hoggle from a crystal, Jareth was relieved that he, Sir Didymus and Ludo were now on their way to help, though he was at a loss for what they could do. He needed to go to The Village and find Sarah. Hopefully the others could distract the Fae for long enough to make it possible but he knew it would be dangerous. Even if he managed to get to Sarah, Hoggle and Sir Didymus were definitely no match for the Fae, and he suspected that Ludo wouldn't be either. But he had to hope.


	14. Chapter 14: Group Tactics

Chapter 14: Group Tactics

Sarah sat in the Tavern which was filled with twenty-two of the Fae who called themselves 'The Resistance.' She could see why they hadn't acted before with so little of them being involved. Anastantia had called the group together to go through their plan of action to free themselves from Jareth's reign, and as she listened attentively, Sarah began to feel on edge. Hearing the Fae talking about her killing Jareth in the simplest of terms made Sarah's mind race and she was struggling to concentrate.

"Yes, Sarah?" Bellowed Anastantia bringing Sarah's focus back to the group who were all looking at her in annoyance.

"Sorry, what?" Asked Sarah, confused.

"You need to be listening! You are the most integral part to all of this!" Anastantia began to shout before falling silent. She paced up and down a few times before continuing. "Sorry, it's just that if we are not focused then the plan could go horribly wrong. I don't want any of our lives to be in danger."

Sarah apologised while the crowd began to whisper. Anastantia plaited her long hair down her back as she waited for silence. She wasn't dressed in her usual pretty dresses. Instead she wore all black and to Sarah she looked like the ultimate determined warrior. In fact, most the Fae had lost their usual charm and vibrancy to don depressing, yet army-like colours.

"So," Anastantia commanded the attention of the room. "We will all use whatever powers and weapons we may encompass to distract the Goblins so that Sarah can hopefully get through undetected and make her way to the castle to confront Jareth. Is everyone with me?"

A resounding 'yes' was chanted back. Anastantia glared at Sarah to make sure the answer also came out of her lips. Satisfied upon seeing Sarah's compliance to their plan she smiled to herself knowing that the day she had waited for had finally arrived.

"Our job is to distract the Goblin's enough to allow Sarah through but more importantly it is also to protect her. Without her, we will fail. She is the only one who has immunity to Jareth's power and the only one I believe he would allow near as he has her brother as bait. For the rest of us, confronting him would be certain death."

A huge roar broke out around the room and many of the Fae came and shook Sarah's hand, thanking her and promising that they would save her brother, whatever it took. Sarah was grateful for their support but the last couple of days had gone so quickly that her head wasn't sure what to think. She just wished she could remember how she'd gotten back into the Labyrinth. She needed to know why Jareth had taken Toby now for revenge. _Why had he waited eight years?_

A small box appeared in view as Anastantia turned. She lifted some small, black masks out from it and began to hand them around to people, one by one.

"We must wear these. We need to keep the identity of the members of the resistance as anonymous as possible in case Jareth is watching. Remember he can do a lot with those crystals. Do not let him fool you."

As everyone slid their masks over their faces, it brought Sarah's memory of the masked ball from eight years ago straight to the front of her mind. She remembered the beauty of the white gown that she had worn; she had felt like a fifteen year old princess. But most importantly she remembered The King and his strong gaze, both from across the ballroom and when they had danced. He had been intense, mesmerizing even and perhaps slightly intimidating, but she hadn't once felt threatened. If anything she had felt threatened by the other Fae. She was struggling to understand how or why the King was now so revengeful but she let her unease disappear as she focused upon rescuing Toby.

Meanwhile, Jareth was struggling to relax as neither himself, Hoggle, Sir Didymus or Ludo had come up with a foolproof way of saving Sarah. He had repeatedly scoured the Fae Village through his crystals but had found no signs of Sarah or anything suspicious; he knew that they must be blocking his magic. Frustrated he began to reason with the group again, arguing that he needed to go to the Village and seek Sarah out in person.

"That's what they want," barked Sir Didymus, fed up of continuously needing to remind Jareth of why going to the Village wasn't a good idea. "They'd be waiting for you. If we have to go then we would all need to go, that they might not expect. Undoubtedly they wish to use her to lure you in. It's a trap."

"If we take them by surprise they could harm Sarah," muttered Jareth. "If we all go, who is to say what they would do to her? If I go alone, I can offer a trade." The King wasn't sure why he seemed to be asking permission to use his plan when at the end of the day he was the King. He could do as he wished but a part of him knew that the group were right.

"Trade you for her?" Exclaimed Hoggle at the same time that Ludo gasped.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Sir Didymus growled so loud that Ambrosious cowered beneath his owner. "Now now Ambrosious," he added petting the poor dog that he sat atop of.

"Well we can't stand here and do nothing," Jareth shot back. "Who knows how long they'll keep Sarah. If they are planning for us to turn up to rescue her, how long will they wait before thinking that it hasn't worked and that they don't need her anymore?"

"I see your point," grumbled Sir Didymus in response. "However, 'nothing' is exactly what I suggest we do. They won't dispose of her anytime soon. They need her. We should wait for them to make first contact."

"Very well," Jareth agreed reluctantly. "But I still want everyone to keep their eyes and ears open for any news of anything going on in the Village. For now, please all depart."

Sir Didymus nodded his head in response and led the way out of the room, followed closely by Hoggle and Ludo.

Taking a seat on his throne, Jareth sighed and closed his eyes. He hated feeling like this. It wasn't like he hadn't argued with the Fae before but this time the game had changed. Never had he truly felt like they were a threat, but now they had something to use against him. He wondered how long he would have to wait before they took any action, but only moments later he began to hear a commotion from somewhere outside the castle. Rushing to the window, he peered out. At the edge of the city he could see what looked like a gathering of goblins, all loading up their cannons and grabbing their weapons though he was too far away to determine what was really happening. _Were the Fae attacking the city?_


	15. Chapter 15: Battle

Chapter 15: Battle

Staring through one of his crystals, Jareth observed more closely what was going on at the edge of the city. He could see a couple of older male Fae just inside the outer wall, shooting magic at everyone in their path. Some of the Goblins had already turned to stone, others were hiding behind houses and some were trying to make their way to the guns that were placed in many locations throughout the Goblin city. Aside from the tall outer wall and the robotic gate controlled by the Goblin's which was not at all easy to pass, the inner defences such as the guns had only been used once before, those eight years ago. Most intruders had never managed to fully enter the Goblin city, aside from Sarah and her friends when they first came to rescue Toby. He still admired their bravery and determination that they had fought with which is why he had allowed Hoggle and Sir Didymus to work for him.

However, Jareth was concerned now that the Fae seemed to have gotten access to the city. Having seen Anastantia at the Tavern through the crystal ball when the Fae had first approached Sarah, he knew she had something to do with the rebellion. He could only see the two male Fae through the crystal but he suspected there would be more lurking. The inner cities defences weren't as strong as perhaps they should be and it worried him that if there were too many Fae that they would successfully make it to the castle. The castle itself was much more defended as he had created it in such a way that it could be manipulated in all sorts of ways by his own magic. Only he could truly navigate all the areas in the castle which would give him an advantage if the battle reached that far.

Watching more and more Goblin's turning to stone, he jumped when a small Goblin ran into the room, breathing rapidly.

"Sire, we are under attack! What shall we do?"

"We need all Goblin's on guard and ready to defend every area of the city," Jareth instructed before hesitating. "Anyone attacking the city is our enemy, but if they see a human girl, they are to get her safely to the castle."

Jareth thought it unlikely that Sarah would have been brought to the city. He believed the Fae were carrying out this attack as a threat to encourage him to go and rescue Sarah, but it would be a trap. He was frustrated that his crystals were giving him no insight into the Fae's plans.

Before the small Goblin scarpered, Jareth added, "Please send Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo to me. We may need some extra power."

As the battle commenced, Anastantia watched from the city entrance that was now unguarded and open from where the first of the rebellion had forced entry. Having studied the cities defences for a long time back when she used to regularly visit Jareth, there was very little taking the rebellion by surprise and so far the whole operation was running smoothly.

One by one the Fae members of the rebellion entered the city, surprising the Goblin's in different areas, dividing their focus. The element of surprise was definitely their strongest asset. They had turned many Goblins to stone and ice within seconds as the Goblins were not expecting the attack, though now the Goblins were beginning to get more organised and one successfully shot their cannon at Merton, and older member of the Fae rebellion, slicing his arm off from the elbow. Anastantia knew there may be some losses but she believed all would be worth it to overthrow Jareth.

"I can't. I'm sorry but I can't," Sarah began to panic whilst standing with Anastantia. The scenes before her were much more horrific than when she had previously fought her way to the castle. Her friends and herself had only tried to dodge their way through the Goblins before; the Fae fought to take them down. This was war.

"Think of your brother!" Anastantia yelled over the growing noise of gunfire. "If you don't go now, after this invasion Jareth will be sure to harm him. He won't have any patience left. It's now or never. Make your way to the castle, I will join in the distraction so that you make it to the castle safely."

Sarah hesitated for a moment but the thought of Toby being frightened and scared in the castle encouraged her to run and she burst her way into the battle arena, dodging flying debris. There were many new Goblin statues in the city, some blocking her path. The adrenaline made her almost fearless as she began to wind her way around the small grey houses, multiple weapons and fighting creatures. Swords which both many Goblins and some of the Fae held were swinging about in all directions, many narrowly missing Sarah as she darted through the chaos.

All she could think of was Toby but she couldn't help but lose pace when she felt the ground beneath her feet rumble. She stopped running as the shakes became more violent and she could hear a loud roar coming from somewhere near the castle.

"Ludo!" Sarah cried. She had fond memories of the beast she had once saved in the Labyrinth. She knew he had called the rocks and decided to take shelter in one of the tiny, goblin made abodes so that she would not get caught up in the extra commotion that she knew was on its way. She had no idea that Ludo was there to help, but Anastantia must have enlisted his assistance.

Watching out of one of the miniscule windows in the house, Sarah began to see large rocks, boulders even, rolling past the house. They knocked everyone in their path flying. She spied many Goblins being knocked over and even saw one of the young blonde female Fae, whom she didn't know by name, get bowled down also. The rocks were certainly slowing down the fighting, distracting both sides and encouraging all to scarper and take cover. Sarah observed Ludo's magic for a few minutes before deciding the rocks had slowed down enough that it would be safe for her to continue.

Exiting through the tiny wooden door she glanced at the carnage in the city. There were many weapons and bodies lying around, nearly all corpses near her were of Goblins. It was sad to see the Labyrinth in such turmoil after she dreamed of being able to come back. The rocks seemed to have pushed much of the remaining fighting towards the edge of the city which slightly confused Sarah. _Surely Ludo should have called the rocks to help the Fae get nearer the castle, not further away?_

Spying the castle not far away, Sarah forced herself to continue on to save Toby. She was surprised that she hadn't come across more opposition to stop her from reaching the castle. The Goblin's had seemed to ignore her, just targeting the Fae. She hoped that it wasn't part of Jareth's plan and she prayed there wasn't something poised to trap her when she reached the castle entrance. However, she wasn't far away and she'd succeeded in defeating the King once before. She could easily do it again.

Meanwhile, Jareth watched Sarah through his crystal, relieved that she seemed to be okay. He could see her fleeing through the madness that filled his Kingdom, and she was rapidly making her way towards the castle. He was glad that she seemed to have managed to escape her captors.

Since Ludo's contribution to the battle, the fighting has almost stopped and although Jareth was saddened to see such tragedy within his city, he was pleased to know that Sarah was almost back to safety and he was almost positive the Fae rebellion would have no ammunition left. All of his Goblins were out forcing the last of the rebellion to leave and Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo had gone to the front of the castle to watch the battle from the windows. Jareth had a better view sitting on his throne, watching through the crystal.

He could see Sarah racing through the small, rocky roads in-between the houses nearby, finally reaching the heavy door that would allow her to enter the sanctity of the castle.


	16. Chapter 16: Confrontation

Author's Note: Once again, I know we are not supposed to put these in the middle of stories but I just wanted to apologise for taking so long to post this chapter. My Nan had a serious operation and my time was occupied between visiting her in hospital and going to see my Grandad and keep him company, so I have had little free time. The little free time I did have I wasn't particularly in the mood to be writing fantasy; I wasn't feeling particularly inspired. However, my Nan is now out of hospital and on the road to recovery so I wanted to share this chapter with you before I go on holiday to Oslo next week. Once I'm back I'll be working on the concluding chapters for you all. Thanks so much so far for all your lovely words of encouragement for my first fan fiction! Jade Marie xo

Chapter 16: Confrontation

Once Sarah had entered the castle foyer she had to pause for a moment to catch her breath. It was only then that the horror of what she had just witnessed hit her. Although she had discovered scary elements to the Labyrinth on her first journey, it was nothing compared to the war that she had found herself a part of this time. Shaking from shock and fear she struggled to get her thoughts together and it was only the thought of saving Toby that willed her to carry on, the same thought that had made her enter the Labyrinth eight years ago. She just wished she could remember how she had returned to the Labyrinth this time. She knew she had wanted to, she had spent lots of time researching it but she hadn't found anything.

Her brain hurt when she tried to remember anything after the moment when her stepmother dropped Toby off to stay the night. The first recent memory of the Labyrinth she had was waking up in the small dark cellar where Anastantia had appeared. She kept replaying it over and over in her mind. Anastantia had said Jareth had messed with her memories; it seemed to be the most logical explanation though if he was revengeful Sarah wasn't sure why he had waited so long; she was struggling to understand why he would do this. Eight years ago when she defeated the King, she had felt they had parted amicably. In fact, the whole time she was trying to solve the Labyrinth originally she hadn't viewed Jareth as an enemy, perhaps merely as a distraction. Now she was slightly hurt that he would take Toby from her again; it wasn't something she had ever expected.

"Toby!" Sarah called out as she headed up the concrete stairway in front of her. "Toby! Where are you?"

"Sarah!" Jareth smiled as she stumbled into the throne room but she cut him off before he could continue to speak.

"Where's Toby?"

Noticing that Sarah seemed very on edge Jareth began to wonder if there was a reason that the Fae had let Sarah escape to the castle so easily. She seemed nervous, which although would be normal after running through a battle field, she was particularly unsettled compared to her usual demeanour. Even when Sarah had confronted the Goblin King on her first trip to the Labyrinth she had generally remained very calm and collected but this time Jareth could see her trembling. It was almost as if the strong willed Sarah he knew had gone and had been replaced with someone less determined or self aware.

"Give me my brother back! Where is he?" Sarah continued, confusing Jareth further. _Did she somehow think he had taken Toby?_

"You know where he is, Sarah," said Jareth, furrowing his brow. "I told you I sent him back to your stepmother."

"No!" Shouted Sarah in frustration. "You have him here. You took him to get revenge because I solved your Labyrinth!"

As Sarah spoke and became increasingly agitated Jareth began to suspect that the Fae resistance had somehow changed or deleted Sarah's memories. Until he knew exactly what they had done he knew he would have to be cautious around her. The blue liquid he had seen through his crystal when he had watched Sarah and Hoggle enter the Tavern a couple of days earlier probably had something to do with it. He had known instantly that it had been tampered with and thankfully Hoggle's knowledge of the Labyrinth had made him suspicious and stop them from drinking it then. However, it was perfectly possible that once the Fae had kidnapped Sarah that they had somehow gotten her to drink the concoction. Jareth eyed Sarah warily, not knowing what to expect. He could only hope they hadn't affected too much of her memory and that somewhere inside _his_ Sarah was still there. He needed to reach out to her slowly.

"Sarah, I don't know what you've been told but you have to trust me," Jareth said affirmatively. "Toby is with your stepmother. He has not been here."

"He's lying!" A shrill voice echoed as the sound of footsteps could be heard entering the room. "Sarah you need to act now or you'll never get your brother back. Do something!"

Anastantia's words were enough to make Sarah reach for the small dagger she had hidden in her pocket. Clutching it tightly Sarah lunged at the King. Automatically Jareth created a crystal and threw it at her but it had no effect, popping gently as it collided with the pretty brunette's face. Sarah seemed to hardly notice that anything had been thrown at her and she now stood staring into the Goblin King's mismatched eyes, holding the small but sharp dagger to his throat.

"Give me my brother back!" Sarah growled through tears. She was trying her best to sound fierce but it was clear to any onlooker just how unsettled she was. Her hand holding the blade was not steady.

"Sarah, what are you waiting for?" Anastantia cried out. "Kill him!"

"Not until I see Toby," mumbled Sarah. "I just want Toby. To leave here and be left alone."

"You won't see Toby unless you kill him!"

Jareth wanted to speak. To plead with Sarah and make her understand that he was not the one who had made her forget how she had came to his Labyrinth. However, with Sarah's trembling hand so close to his naked throat, with _his_ Sarah gone and a nerve wrecked human girl left before him, he didn't think talking would do him any favours. He was furious at Anastantia for what she had done to Sarah but for now he knew he needed to remain calm. Although Anastantia had become distant over the past few years he never expected that she could do something like this.

"Where is Toby?" Sarah questioned the King again, continuing to stare into his eyes. Jareth didn't say a word yet something in his expression made Sarah feel uneasy. However hard she tried she couldn't remember exactly what had happened to get her to this moment but she suddenly realised that regardless of that she had lost herself along the way. Those mismatched eyes that had haunted her in her dreams now reminded her of the girl she used to be.

"I can't do it," Sarah whispered, surprising Jareth as he thought the fantasy plight to save her brother would control her entirely. Instead, Sarah took a step back from the King and she let the dagger slip out from under her slim, pale fingers. The blade rattled as it hit the grey, stone ground.

Using this moment of distraction, Anastantia drew her own blade that she had concealed in her long leather boot and threw it directly at Jareth.


	17. Chapter 17: Jealous Mind

Chapter 17: Jealous Mind

Catching Jareth completely off guard as his mind was solely focused on Sarah, it was too late for him to avoid a collision with the blade. He tried to dodge it at the last minute but it pierced into his shoulder, making him crumble to the ground with the sudden sharp pain.

"No!" Sarah screamed, the horror in her voice shocking Anastantia and it was in that moment Anastantia realised that she may have read Sarah all wrong. _Did the human girl love the Goblin King?_ Although Jareth's own desires for the girl had been obvious to Anastantia ever since she had watched them together at the ball those eight years before, she had never seen or heard anything to indicate that Sarah may reciprocate Jareth's feelings. However, as Anastantia stood transfixed, watching Sarah rush over to the wounded King, she feared that somewhere deep inside Sarah, maybe even without the girl knowing, there were feelings there for Jareth. She could recognise that gleam in Sarah's eyes as she looked at the King as Anastantia had once felt the same way herself.

"I need to know where my brother is," Sarah whispered through tears as she slowly pulled the blade out from where it had embedded in the Goblin King's shoulder. Sarah's hand shook as she glanced at the blood on the edges of the dagger and she released it from her grasp letting it slide to the ground. Sarah couldn't believe what she was experiencing this time in the Labyrinth. She felt as if she had stepped into a movie. It didn't feel real and all she could do was hope that she would wake up and it would be just a dream much like the nightmares she so often had. However, _hadn't Anastantia already shown her this wasn't a dream?_

"I promise you Sarah, I don't have him," Jareth wheezed as his blood began to drench his white shirt. Although the blade had missed the heart, the wound was deep. Unwillingly her eyes were drawn to the ever growing redness of Jareth's shirt. Her heart raced.

"I don't know what's going on," mumbled Sarah switching her attention to Jareth's face and watching it closely. No matter how intently she looked all she could see was sincerity. "Somehow, for some reason, I believe you. Where is Toby?"

"Sarah, I brought you here to the Labyrinth at your request. I know you don't remember but you must remember searching for a way back here. You contacted me. I refused to bring Toby with you. I placed him safely with his mother."

"I tell you, he's lying!" Chimed in Anastantia holding on to any hope that she might still succeed in her mission to kill the King. She had waited so long to be able to hurt him, but she wasn't finding it as satisfying as she had imagined it would be so far. If anything her heartache just worsened as events were unfolding.

Sarah didn't lift her eyes from Jareth's face despite hearing Anastantia's words. As hard as she tried, she couldn't read any negative expressions from the King. His eyes were focused, truthful and perhaps even kind, not releasing Sarah's own gaze for even a second.

"I can't hurt you," winced Jareth as he tried to get up, his shoulder throbbing in pain making his right arm weak. He paused, struggling to get up but eventually having to give up trying as the blood loss began to make him dizzy. "You defeated me, Sarah. My powers can't affect you. A potion I had concocted would have no effect on you, much like that crystal I just threw at you when you came at me with the dagger."

"Oh please," cackled Anastantia forcing both Jareth and Sarah to divide their attention and look towards her. "You could have had anyone make you up a potion."

"It would take someone with a lot of power to create one that strong and specific. Most would have worn off by now. Unless they were made by someone who's major power lies within potion mixing. Anastantia, it is only you whom I know that possesses such skill."

"Sarah, don't listen to him!" Snapped Anastantia becoming frustrated. She felt she was losing control. The moment she had worked towards for so many years was here but yet she felt it falling from her grasp. Sarah's arrival had seemed like the perfect opportunity, but now as she stood observing the human girl she realised that all she had done was add someone into her original plot who was a liability. Half of the Resistance were lying deceased out in the Goblin City grounds from where they had fought to assist Anastantia with her plan. She couldn't let all the Resistance's hard work and sacrifice go to waste. So many of her species had never wanted Jareth as King and she wanted to honour them by removing him from the throne, also with the intent of healing her own heartache.

"You saw how many of us there are in the resistance," Anastantia continued trying to act composed. "You can't tell me that an innocent man would have so many enemies."

Sarah looked back at Jareth studying him closely, remembering the line from the Labyrinth book and whispered, "you have no power over me."

Worried in that moment that he was going to lose Sarah, despite the emotional pain he felt every time she said those words, he muttered four small words in response, "Sarah, don't defy me." With that he forced himself up to his elbows despite the soaring pain through his shoulder so that his mouth could reach Sarah's and he kissed her passionately like he had no other.

In the split second that their lips met, Anastantia screamed loudly, tears filling her eyes and she charged towards Sarah. Grabbing Sarah's dark brown locks, she pulled her to her feet. Sarah clutched at her hair and cried out in pain but Anastantia was much stronger; a natural advantage Fae had over any human. She started to pull her away from Jareth, towards the steps that exited the room.

By now the King had lost a lot of blood from his wound and as much as he tried he couldn't push himself up to go after her without flopping back onto the ground. Instead, using every ounce of energy he had left he produced a crystal with his left hand and fired it towards Anastantia, losing consciousness as he let the crystal go. The ball flew through the air without Anastantia even noticing, her murderous anger focused solely on Sarah. It hit Anastantia on the back of the leg. Before she even had the chance to look down to see what had struck her she had become completely still as if time had frozen.

However, the momentum from where she had been dragging Sarah along meant that as Anastantia froze, Sarah kept moving. Her long hair pulled painfully through Anastantia's clutched fist and as it released Sarah was too close to the stairs to stop herself from toppling down them. She winced as she began to tumble down but once she reached the bottom silence ensued.


	18. Chapter 18: Blurred Lines

Chapter 18: Blurred Lines

Feeling the comfort of the mattress beneath her Sarah smiled to herself as she awoke, relieved that she must have dreamt the whole thing. She couldn't believe how long and detailed her nightmares had become. Before they had all been focused around her friends and Jareth but this time her mind had created characters she had never encountered before. The dreams had always felt real but never before had they been quite so vivid or quite so imaginative.

Slowly opening her eyes Sarah realised it was dark and automatically moved to switch on the lamp that usually sat on her bedside table but no matter how much she flailed her arm about the lamp didn't appear to be there. It was only when she began to move that she could feel that her whole body ached. Sensing something wasn't right she leapt out of bed, wincing as she did so. Squinting to see through the darkness she hobbled over to the heavy oak door of the room she was in, finding a light switch just beside it. Upon turning it on, a magnificent candelabra lit up and the room she was stood in become completely visible.

A large oak bed filled most of the room and the candelabra was surprisingly big for the room's size. Long dark green curtains hung to the floor, pulled shut. A small but sturdy chest of drawers sat in the corner and a tribal print rug filled the much of the empty space on the wooden floor. The furniture seemed almost too grand to be placed in a reasonably small room but she couldn't deny that although it had a slight gothic edge, the decorating had been well planned. It certainly created an atmosphere. She wondered if she was dreaming now, finding it hard to differentiate between fiction and reality lately. _Was she in the castle?_

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, startling Sarah.

"Come in," Sarah muttered as Hoggle came through.

"I thought I heard you moving," mumbled Hoggle.

"You should be resting m'lady," Sir Didymus tutted, following through after Hoggle. "You need to rest your head. That was a terrible bump you got."

Reaching up to her forehead Sarah felt that it had been bandaged and her heart sank as she realised that not one bit of this journey had been a dream.

"Jareth..." She began to speak.

"He isn't here," Hoggle said, cutting her off before she could even ask. "He's okay, but he's gone out."

"Oh," Sarah exhaled, relieved that the King was okay but also slightly disappointed that he wasn't there to see her when she awoke. She wondered if Jareth had mentioned the kiss to her friends or not. _Had he even meant to kiss her?_ Sarah's head hurt more just thinking about it, her memory was hazy but her lips still tingled so there was no doubt in her mind that the kiss had occurred.

"M'lady you really should lie down," barked Sir Didymus upon seeing the puzzled expression that had filled Sarah's face. "I'm sure you have many questions but you feeling better is most important. There's a bell beside your bed should you need us."

"What happened to Anastantia?" Sarah questioned, ignoring Sir Didymus' advice despite her growing headache.

Both Hoggle and Sir Didymus fell silent at her question, glaring at each other as if willing the other one to answer but before they could Ludo came bundling through the doorway, ducking so he didn't hit his head, and he grabbed Sarah in a bear hug causing her to wince in pain as her bruised body was crushed.

"Sarah, awake!" Exclaimed Ludo, holding his friend tightly.

"Ludo, let Sarah go!" Commanded Sir Didymus with such ferocity that Ludo stepped back at speed, knocking the mirror that had been hanging near the door way off the wall. It smashed into thousands of pieces with an earth shuddering crash.

"This castle is not built for giants," grumbled Hoggle, shuffling out of the room to go and fetch a broom though also using it as his opportunity to avoid Sarah's earlier question. Ludo stood staring at the devastation he had caused while Sir Didymus sat down on the bed, his expression furious.

"Sarah is hurt, Ludo. You musn't grab her. M'lady you really must rest!"

"Not until you answer me," said Sarah defiantly.

"Oh still so stubborn. Not even the bump to the head can help her," Jareth's voice crackled through the air, bringing with it ensuing silence.

Sir Didymus quickly hopped off the bed and bowed to Jareth which made Sarah giggle. Sir Didymus himself was proud but was ever the gallant knight. Her laughter earned her an icy glare from the King. Sarah had hoped that he might be different now that he had kissed her but it seemed he didn't like to be laughed at, though really she was laughing at Sir Didymus' submission. Sensing the tension, Sir Didymus nodded and left he room followed closely by Ludo, leaving Jareth and Sarah alone.

There was a moment of awkward silence as both racked their brains for something to say.

"So, how do you like my castle?" Jareth smirked, turning to face Sarah who looked bewildered at the question. He knew she was probably waiting for him to bring up the kiss but he had never had time to really gauge her reaction to it before Anastantia had pulled her away and therefore he didn't want to be the one to approach the subject. For all he knew, she may not remember it because of the bump to her head. Secretly part of him hoped Sarah didn't remember. It had been a spontaneous, selfish action on his part.

"Umm, well this room is very... well decorated," Sarah said hesitantly. She felt slightly uncomfortable with the issue of the kiss looming over them. She could feel that he was avoiding it. She knew he wanted her to bring it up but she wasn't going to. He'd called her stubborn many times and that she was. He would have to mention it eventually. _Or would he?_

"When you feel better I shall give you a tour," he smiled genuinely. "But for now Sir Didymus was right. You need to rest."

"What about Anastantia? Where is..."

"Stop!" Commanded Jareth. "She's not your concern, Sarah. You should focus on healing. Leave Anastantia to me."

"But you're injured too!" Sarah exclaimed but upon looking Jareth up and down she could see no sign of where the dagger had pierced his shoulder.

Laughing as he saw Sarah's gobsmacked expression he pulled down the shoulder of his shirt to reveal a very small scar from where the dagger had pierced him. "I can heal fast with the right treatment. Luckily Hoggle found us on time, otherwise this story would have come to an end."

Sarah was about to ask what he meant but he spoke again commanding her to silence.

"Anyway," he smirked. "Duty calls. Rest Sarah. I mean it."

And with that he turned and departed the room, leaving Sarah isolated and even more confused. She couldn't wait to get rid of the headache so she could go and find out what was going on.


	19. Chapter 19: Dreams

Chapter 19: Dreams

"Sarah!" A young voice cried waking Sarah from her slumber. Feeling something jump on her bed, Sarah flinched backwards, her eyes adjusting to the daylight that filled her room and she couldn't help but smile when she saw who it was.

"Toby!" She exclaimed before she heard Jareth laugh from where he was standing in the doorway. Sarah couldn't help but smile at that too. She hadn't heard Jareth laugh very often, unless it was to mock her, but his laughter just now had sounded sincere.

Sarah was truly thrilled to see her little brother but as she sat up a wave of concern rushed over her. _Was it safe for Toby to be in the Labyrinth?_ _Had they found Anastantia?_ She had so many questions going through her mind that she wanted to ask that she couldn't seem to get any words out. She guessed her alarm must have been displayed clearly on her face as Jareth slowly approached the bed perching next to Toby. For Sarah it seemed like it was almost a natural thing for the King to do though much different to the distant self he usually was.

"Toby will be safe in the Castle," stated Jareth matter-of-factly. "I thought you could do with the company while you recover."

Although that addressed some of Sarah's worries she couldn't help but enquire into Anastantia's whereabouts. Sarah didn't often show fear but that woman chilled Sarah to the bone. After all, she had almost killed both herself and the King and she had vindictively convinced Sarah that Jareth had been seeking revenge which hadn't been true at all, though Sarah still wondered if Jareth had any motives for letting her return to the Labyrinth. She'd felt something when he had kissed her only those few nights before and although it was in the heat of the moment and he hadn't mentioned it since, she wondered if it really meant something.

"Who's Anastantia?" Asked Toby, disturbing Sarah from her thoughts.

"Just someone who we couldn't find; an old friend," answered Jareth nonchalantly. "I know you wanted to spend some time with your sister but I think that first the Goblin's would like to say hello too."

"Goblins!" Toby yelled and with that a Goblin appeared at the door and lead Toby down the corridor to find the others, leaving Sarah and Jareth alone.

"I told Toby you'd tripped over and hit your head," Jareth said continuing to stay perched on the bottom of the bed. "It is best we don't overwhelm his overactive mind. We haven't found Anastantia yet but I'm watching closely though the crystals and the Goblin's are out searching. Hopefully it is only a matter of time though of course in a maze it is no easy task to find anyone. Especially Anastantia. She probably knows more secrets of the Labyrinth than most other beings that live here, except from me. But she helped me in the creation of the Goblin City so the cities defences probably won't be too hard for her to get through if she is brave enough to try. I probably shouldn't have bought Toby here, Sarah. But I did it for you."

"Thank you," Sarah mumbled in response. She knew the Goblin King wouldn't have made the decision to bring Toby to the Labyrinth lightly. In fact she was certain that if she hadn't have been injured he most certainly wouldn't have let Toby come back to the Labyrinth at all no matter how much Sarah had asked.

Silence ensued after and the mystery of the kiss hung thick in the air. Neither Sarah nor Jareth wanted to approach the subject with fear of rejection from the other but Sarah, being the ever curious human that she was, decided she couldn't bear it any longer and decided to approach the subject carefully.

Jareth watched Sarah's expression change as the silence between them continued and he could tell she was thinking about his kiss. He couldn't help but find her frustration of his avoidance of the subject amusing though he gave away no hint of this to Sarah. Another part of him feared her frustration too. _What if she had just kissed him back because of the adrenaline in that situation? What if she was angry with him?_ He didn't want to be rejected by her for a second time which is why he had tried to keep his distance from her after her first journey to the Labyrinth.

"You once said to me," Sarah began, clearing her throat while Jareth eyed her carefully, wary of what she might say. "You said that if I feared you, loved you and obeyed you that you'd be my slave."

Jareth couldn't help but laugh at that, his reaction surprising himself and most of all Sarah who couldn't comprehend his laughter at all.

"Yes I did, Sarah," said Jareth, composing himself. "And to think that I thought that might even sound half appealing."

Sarah giggled apprehensively.

"Look, Sarah," muttered Jareth, turning back into his usual serious self. "I turned the world upside down for you then. Giving someone a chance to save the child was not something I would usually do. Most people were so easy and accepted their dreams with no resistance. You surprised me. You fought your way past every obstacle both I and the Labyrinth itself threw at you. I knew you were going to reject that proposal to fear, love and obey me but I foolishly made it anyway clutching onto any hope I had of not losing my power over you. I'd long before realised I couldn't live within you. Perhaps even when I first met you I'd realised that, yet I continued to try and change the world for you. You were too strong, Sarah. You didn't need me."

Sarah took a moment to take in the King's words before replying, "I think I did need you. Maybe not right then or maybe I was just too naive to realise it. Solving your Labyrinth ended up making me crazy. The constant nightmares. The uncertainty. It stopped me from belonging back home. I was lost but then I found you and you let me return, why?"

"Because that is what you wanted, Sarah. I tried to dissuade you. I didn't understand why you had summoned me."

"Because I no longer wanted to be crazy. I no longer wanted to fear you coming to haunt my dreams not really knowing if you were real or just a figment of my imagination! I wanted to see my friends. Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo were the only true friends that I had."

Tears began to run down Sarah's cheeks as she let out her thoughts and frustrations. She remembered the King had told her he had done everything for her last time she was in the Labyrinth but she'd thought it was just a ploy to persuade her to give in and be defeated. Now she wondered if he'd meant what he had said.

"You say that your actions before were for me? But how? You could have just let me have my brother back. That's all I wanted."

"Sarah, I tried to give you your dreams. You wanted rid of the baby or you wouldn't have said those words. Only your moral conscience took over after you'd said them though saying them truly came from a desire of yours. I only continuously provided you with different dreams of your own in return, only they weren't enough. Honestly tell me that things you experienced in the Labyrinth on your first journey didn't come from somewhere in your subconscious? Those dreams were real. Once or twice you almost lost yourself to them."

Stunned, Sarah looked at the King's face not able to say a word. She couldn't deny that things that had happened on her first journey weren't entirely separate from the dreams she had had when she was younger. She'd always had an overactive imagination. For instance, the ball was something she'd long before dreamed of albeit a slightly twisted version. She'd been the Princess she had imagined and the only thing missing had been the handsome Prince, though now she wondered whether he had been there all along.

Rather than saying anymore she followed her gut instinct and climbed across the bed to where Jareth was sat, ignoring the pounding in her head that was now accompanied by a pounding in her heart. Gently she put her lips against Jareth's and began to kiss him, scared when at first he seemed to freeze. However, only a few moments later he responded; taking her in his arms, both of their fears forgotten.


	20. Chapter 20: Before It's Too Late

Chapter 20: Before It's Too Late

When Sarah awoke she was alone. She supposed everyone was busy still trying to hunt down Anastantia. Wondering where Toby was she slid out of bed, got dressed and headed out of her room for the first time since being in the castle.

As she stepped out into the long hallway it was eerily quiet and only dimly lit by large candles that hung from the walls. Large oak doors lined each side of the corridor and Sarah wondered what was in each room and whether they were decorated similarly to her own chamber there in the castle. She smiled to herself when looking up and down the hallway because it reminded her of the entrance to the Labyrinth and the never-ending path; she didn't know which way to go. To think it was less than a week since she had first returned to the magical land.

She'd hoped that she'd hear noise coming from somewhere to point her in the right direction but there was nothing. Having only experienced a few rooms of the castle on her previous trip to the Labyrinth she couldn't even decipher which part of the castle she was in. As the corridor had no windows she could only guess that she was somewhere in the middle and from the view from her room she could tell she had been fairly high up and guessed that she would probably need to find a staircase to take her downstairs to find where everybody else was lurking.

She turned left and began wandering that way through the castle, tempted to look in each room she passed to see if they held any secrets. Her inquisitive mind became even more alive in the Labyrinth because she knew that things weren't always what they seemed. Passing several doors she managed to resist the urge to open them but as she neared the end of the corridor she couldn't resist anymore. She slowly turned the handle on one of the doors but upon peering in she was disappointed that it was just a bedroom, similar to the one she was staying in. Although she knew there must be hidden secrets to discover in the castle it made her for the time being focus on finding where Toby and the others were; she hoped she could discover the castle's mysteries later.

At the end of the corridor she found a thin, stone staircase and headed down. As she reached the bottom she began to hear voices coming from a few rooms away. She paused at the bottom of the staircase, taking in her surroundings. This corridor was not so long but still had several doors coming off of it; the castle was much larger than she had really anticipated. The castle didn't look as large from the outside as it seemed upon the inside and she knew that yet she probably had much more left to see.

As she turned and headed towards the room where she could hear voices she suddenly heard a loud crash and something that sounded like a few screams. She froze momentarily from fear. However, upon hearing Toby crying she ran into the room without hesitation, rushed straight to Toby and held him as tears fell down his face.

"It's okay," she soothed whilst glancing around the room attempting to decipher what was going on. At first she only noticed Jareth who was walking over broken glass and picking up something up that Hoggle seemed to have just thrown a bowl of water over. She watched Jareth intently as he started to examine what looked like an arrow and unrolled a note from around the shaft.

He began to read the note carefully but as soon as he finished he rolled it up and slid it into his shirt sleeve before making a quick exit from the room. A couple of Goblin's followed the King, as did Hoggle, presumably to find out what was going on. Sarah wanted to go after him too but she couldn't leave Toby.

"Good morning m'lady," Sir Didymus piped up from the other side of the room. "Would you like any breakfast?"

"Umm... no thank you. I'm not hungry." It was only then that Sarah realised they were standing in a large kitchen and spotted Ambrosias hiding underneath the large wooden table not far from where Sir Didymus was standing.

"What happened?" Toby suddenly whispered, looking up at his big sister.

"I'm not sure," answered Sarah honestly. "Sir Didymus, do you think any of the Goblin's could come and entertain Toby for a little while?"

As soon as she said the words, Sir Didymus picked up and rang a small but surprisingly loud bell and immediately a few Goblins entered the kitchen. Sir Didymus asked them to take Toby with them and they swiftly exited with the child in tow.

As soon as Toby had left the room Sarah felt comfortable enough to ask Sir Didymus, "what actually did happen?"

Sir Didymus explained that they had all been having breakfast when suddenly a flaming arrow had came crashing through the window, luckily missing them all.

"Anastantia?" Sarah asked, presuming she was something to do with it.

"Presumably so," mumbled Sir Didymus in response. "The King has quite a routine generally so she'd probably know he would be in here at this time. Likewise, she probably shot it through that window knowing that it was unlikely to hit anyone."

"Am I supposed to find that comforting?"

"Of course not m'lady. I'm just trying to express why I think it was she."

"I need to speak to Jareth," Sarah stated. "Can you take me to the throne room?" Sarah just knew that he'd be there.

Sure enough as she entered the throne room Jareth was lounging in his chair, spinning crystals in his hand. He was lost in thought. He was still wearing the shirt he had on at breakfast, though he had now added a black leather waistcoat. Sarah wondered whether the note was still hidden in his sleeve. She wanted to know what it said but she knew Jareth could be defensive so she would have tread carefully to encourage him to speak. Silently observing him for a few minutes she was trying to come up with something useful to say but could think of nothing.

"Jareth," she whispered, stepping right into the room which made the King turn to face her.

The crystals in his hand evaporated as he stood up and walked towards her. Sarah couldn't help but notice that he looked almost pained.

"The arrow didn't hurt you did it?" She asked, having a flashback to the night where Anastantia had thrown the dagger into Jareth's shoulder. Sarah shuddered.

"You should still be resting," commented Jareth, seeing Sarah shaking as she stood.

"I've rested enough," Sarah responded bluntly. "It's like being kept in a prison in that room."

A wave of cold silence hung in the air as neither knew what to say first but Sarah broke it first in a manner that was often out of character for her.

"I'm sorry," Sarah muttered. "I know you're only caring for me, but I'm not a child. I am rested enough. I need to know what is going on."

"The stubborn Sarah just submitted an apology?" Jareth couldn't help but tease her. In that moment he felt light-hearted but only a few seconds later other thoughts preoccupied his mind and his heart was heavy once again. "It is not safe for you here. I don't mean to make you feel like a prisoner."

"That may have been a little unrealistic, my room was very nice," Sarah half-smiled hoping not to anger the King because she knew that if she did that she would never get the answers she was searching for. "The last week has just been crazy. It's like I was losing my mind for years wondering whether my first journey to this Labyrinth was real, and now even upon discovering it was real my mind feels no more sane than it did before. Everything's muddled. What was in that note on the arrow?"

"Straight to the point," smirked Jareth knowing that the content of the note was what Sarah really wanted to know. Usually he would argue with her but he didn't have the strength, his heart was to solemn knowing what he would have to do. He carefully pulled the piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Sarah, the edges of the note scorched from the flames that had been coming from the tail of the arrow.

Sarah took it and read the letter eagerly.

 _'Dearest Jareth,_

 _You may think you have won but I promise you that I will not rest until I see you suffer for what you have done. And even better now I know how to hurt you more than I ever imagined I could. A lifetime of suffering is worse than death. Send Sarah my greetings. I'm sure it won't be long until her and I meet again._

 _Anastantia.'_

"She threatens me," Sarah observed upon reading the last words of the letter.

"With her roaming free before you were not safe but now she has made threats against you. You need to return home."

The King's words hit Sarah like a bullet. She knew he would be worried but she never expected him to want her to leave. She could feel her eyes unwillingly filling up, threatening to spill over.

"It's the only place you'll be safe. Anastantia can't travel to your world. I can't see you get hurt. I don't understand why she is doing this. Her part in the unrest was so sudden. I can't trust anyone."

"You don't understand?" Sarah laughed in disbelief though one lonesome tear escaped and ran down her cheek. "You're not telling me that you didn't realise that Anastantia was in love with you? In fact, I'd say she still is."

Jareth let Sarah's words sink in. Had he really been so blind as not to realise that Anastantia actually loved him? He thought back to their friendship and although she was one of his only friends and always stood up for him he couldn't see more to it. They had kissed once when they were very young but it was something he told her wouldn't happen again and thought she had accepted that. They'd been fine ever since. She had been his closest friend, his confidant. She had helped him with the kingdom but he realised now that she had probably done all this hoping that one day she would be his Queen.

"I never realised," he mumbled aloud. "I thought she was just helping me from kindness. She had been at that ball. Did she realise something I had not yet realised myself?" Jareth trailed off keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself before noticing that Sarah was crying. "Why so tearful? If you go home you won't need to worry about her."

"You think I am upset because of her threat?" Sarah snapped. "I am hurt. I know what it is like to be Anastantia, to think you have a new relationship for it to turn cold in the blink of an eye. To feel like a fool."

"Sarah, you must not think like that. I only want to keep you safe," he paused before he added, "I love you."

The King wrapped Sarah in his arms and gently stroked her hair with his gloved hand.

"I can't let you get hurt, Sarah. This is my battle, not yours. The unrest had all began before you returned and I was foolish enough to accept your request to return knowing that the Labyrinth was more unsafe than it already can be. "

Sarah pulled back, blinking through tears, unsure of what to say.

"Anastantia has hurt me too, I want to help..."

"Stop!" Jareth interrupted her words. "None of this is your fault and if anything happened to you I couldn't live with myself. I don't want you to go but I have to keep you out of harm's way until things get better. Think of Toby. He knows things now that he is going to need his sister's help dealing with. You know how you felt after your first trip here. Go back with your brother before it's too late."

"What and pretend like all this never happened?"

"No Sarah," Jareth said, his heart breaking. "It won't be forever. I promise once we've found Anastantia and the unrest has settled I will come for you."

"Okay," Sarah sighed reluctantly not wanting to agree to Jareth's decision but knowing it would be best for Toby; she had put her brother in enough danger over the years through her love of the Labyrinth.

"Toby!" Jareth called, followed by the sound of fast little footsteps as Toby skidded into the room.

"You and your sister are going home for a while," Jareth continued.

"What? Right now?" Sarah asked in shock, assuming she was going to have time to say goodbye to everyone before she left.

"Yes," replied Jareth calmly. "I love you." And with a wave of his hand they vanished and he remained in the throne room alone.

 **The End**

 _A message from the author - please read!...:_

 _Hey everyone!_

 _I want to say I am so sorry this chapter has taken so long for me to get to you. As you can see it is much longer than the others as I wanted chapter 20 to take me to the end in a way that wasn't too rushed. I know many of you will HATE this ending. I've separated Sarah and Jareth... Boo! Ha._

 _I have rewritten this chapter so many times with so many different outcomes... Another huge battle that sees Anastantia's death and a happy ending for Sarah and Jareth, an ending where they both left everything behind to start a new life together.. BUT I chose this ending because I felt there could be a lot more to this story... and therefore... **I AM GOING TO BE WRITING A SEQUEL**! I hope most of you will be pleased about that... In fact I have already started writing the first chapter._

 _I decided to separate it from this story as my ideas have a slightly different route to take so I felt the break between the stories would help that. Also, I want to make the chapters a bit longer for the next one and I want time to get a head start so I don't leave you waiting forever in between new chapters. So my aim is to post the first chapter for you early 2017 (hopefully January)._

 _So please follow me to see when it comes out - I hope many of you will read it... I won't mark this story as complete until the new story has posted and will post another chapter to this story to let you know it's out also so you don't miss it._

 _Thank you for all the support and kind words for my first every story... I will try to make the second part to this even better._

 _Jade Marie xo_


	21. Part 2 Out Now

**The Labyrinth: Turn Back Before It's Too Late Part 2 chapter 1 is now published!**

Please go to my profile to find the link to the sequel to this tale.

Here's a small exert from chapter 1:

 _It had already been just over a year since Jareth had zapped her back to her apartment from the Labyrinth without letting her say any goodbyes. That was what hurt the most. It felt almost like the first time she left there when she was only fifteen; she never said goodbye to her friends then either. The other world just seemed a mere memory when in her own world; it felt like the Labyrinth was designed to make people forget but she knew she never could erase it from her mind completely, though a part of her wished that sometimes she could._

Thank you for reading The Labyrinth: Turn Back Before It's Too Late.

Any Questions?

\- Contact me on here or you can find me on social media:

Facebook: JadeMarieOfficial

Twitter: jadeycakes1992

Youtube: jademarieofficial


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